Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers
by Alene Deirbre
Summary: when piedmon was destroyed he was forced to choose a new ruler for the nightmare soldiers, and the one he chose was Matt, but deamon wants that honor for himself. Matt/Tk brotherly stuff & Matt/Tai friendship
1. How it Began

A/N: first off this story is centered around Yamato, but Takure will play a fairly large roll, and Taichi will more then likely be in this a lot. Originally this was going to be a Taito, but due to the fact that there are so many romance fics I decided to leave Yamato and Taichi as just friends. Now don't get me wrong I do like Taito, and I have read some very good romance fics but I just wanted this to be mostly about Matt, with some Matt/TK brotherly moments. 

Okay in this fic season two did happen, but things like Sorato and the ending of season two never happened. Again the no Sorato is because of the need to lesson a romantic plot. Also the real world know about Digimon, and they know that the Digidestined exists, but they do not know where Digimon come from or who the Digidestined are. 

Oh by the way this chapter is very slow not to mention boring but please bare with me I needed to give you a background on the events that lead up to this fic. Well on with the show.

Disclaimer: I do **not** own Digimon.

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When the digital world was first formed a balance of power between light and darkness was created. If this balance was ever disturbed then the world itself would be thrown into utter chaos. In order to prevent this from happening the supreme entity known as the Digi-Core created four-mega digimon known as the Digi-Gods. The Digi-Core appointed the four legionary megas as the keepers of balance. Each of the four digimon was given a region of the digi-world to monitor and assure that balance was kept.

Azulongmon, a holy dragon type digimon, was placed in charge of the east and all that transpired there. He was a wise and powerful digimon who was well respected amongst the inhabitants of the digi-world.

Baihumon, a metal empire digimon that resembled a tiger, was the god of the west. He was a brave and adventurous digimon, who sot out a noble fight.

Xuanwumon, was a member of the nature sprite family and had well earned such a position, he appeared to be a giant turtle with large trees growing on his back. Out of all the four digi-gods Xuanwumon was the wisest and the most tranquil, he watched the north and all under his gaze were at peace.

The final digi-god was a large and beautiful phoenix called Zhuqiaomon, the last to be created Zhuqiaomon was given rule over the south. Unlike the rest of the lands, the south was primitive and undeveloped. The inhabitants fought in devastating wars amongst each other. The land was divided and the morals of the digimon had long sense been forgotten.

When Zhuqiaomon saw the land he was to govern and it's inhabitants, he was greatly troubled. With such savagery how could the south ever gain splendor and peace. Zhuqiaomon decided that the south most be destroyed and then rebuilt again. Focusing all his power Zhuqiaomon emitted a great flame with his body which devoured the land and all it's inhabitants. 

For courtiers the southern lands remained in ashes, when it was obvious that the south would not regain life Zhuqiaomon went to the Digi-Core and pleaded with it to grant the desalinate land rebirth. The Digi-Core agreed, but only on the condition that the south becomes the land of great warriors and followers of the Digi-Core, should he ever call upon them. Zhuqiaomon agreed, and so it was proclaimed that he would be the messenger between the Digi-Core and the race of warriors. The Digi-Core also decreed that no other race of digimon would be higher. The race of worriers would be creatures of nobility and virtue. 

For the first leader of the warrios Zhuqiaomon would select a candidate, and the Digi-Core would test the candidate to see if they were worthy to be in command of such a powerful race. All leaders followed would first have to defeat the previous Lord before Zhuqiaomon would acknowledge them as a candidate.

After all this was decided life began to return to the barren lands of the south. Water was the first signs of life to reappear, streams of cool crystal water began to flow throughout the land forming lakes and restoring plant life. Tall strong trees with great branches and canopies of leaves began to appear, flowers with beautiful petals and alluring scents began to blossom, fields began to sprout out lushes green grass. Soon great stones began to rise up until they formed glorious monition ranges. 

While all this was transpiring the center of the south began to shake as huge mountains began to form a large circle; the land in the midst of the mountains became a wondrous valley that was called Forbidden Valley. It was here that the first digieggs of the new south were laid. The digieggs of Forbidden Valley were very similar to the ones in Primary Village, except for a difference in colors and designs. While the digieggs of Primary Village were generally white with light color dots or stripes, the digieggs of Forbidden Valley where dark colors mark with ancient Digi-Codes. 

The Digieggs of Forbidden Valley developed slower then those outside of the south. It took many centuries before the first of them began to hatch. Surprisingly the digieggs hatched into normal fresh digimon. Soon Forbidden Valley was completely inhabited by Punimon, Pabumon, Baotmon, and many other fresh digimon. Zhuqiaomon kept watch over these young digimon, tending to their needs just as Electmon would in Primary Village. Under Zaqaiomon's care the fresh digimon soon digivolved into their in-training forms which still remained in the race of the outside world. Still weak and young the digimon continued to depend upon Zhuqiaomon for development. It wasn't until they reached their rookie forms that they were able to survive without Zhuqiaomon. Once all the digimon reached the Rookie State of evolution Zhuqiaomon used his power to transfer the highest peak of the south into a live volcano. After the mountain had completely changed Zhuqiaomon went inside and rested amongst the flames.

After Zhuqiaomon left it was reveled to the other three Digi-Gods, who had been observing the development of the south, that many of the rookie digimon where completely new breads. While many of the rookies, such as Gabumon, Patamon, and Salamon, where recognizable others where unknown to any of the remaining gods. One of the rookies, who resembled a bowling ball with wings, was apparently named DemiDevimon. Another was Tapirmon, who almost resembled an anteater, excepted for the silver headpiece he wore and the fact that the bottom half of his body looked like a black cloud. These where only a few of the strange new breads of digimon that had appeared in Forbidden Valley.

It wasn't until many of the digimon began to digivolve into their champion forms, that the three Digi-Gods began to question what the Digi-Core and Zhuqiaomon were doing. Most of the digimon had long sense left Forbidden Valley and had began to grow into their champion forms. Vile digimon such as Orgremon, Youkomon, and Vilemon began to inhabit the forest. Wizarmon and Sorcerymon began to build huts throughout the land where they could practice their magic in peace. Garurumon found their place in the mountains of northern Forbidden Valley, while BlackGatomon and Kyubimon rested in the open plains of the eastern lands. 

Despite the power that these digimon were already displaying it was the Fallen Angel digimon which caused fear amongst the digi-gods. They were such beautiful yet dark creatures, and it was very difficult to observe them sense they seemed to be masters of illusions. The IceDevimon disappeared in the blizzards of the northern lands, while the Devimon crept into the shadows of the many caves and deep forest that the south held. The beautiful and mysterious Gargomon seemed to just vanish in the clouds as if they were being recalled to their place in heaven. 

The three great digi-gods were amazed further by the development of the new race of digimon as they began to build societies and govern themselves. They placed the strongest as their leaders and named them generals. The nobility and morality that the digimon displayed had yet to be seen in the outside world, but despite this they still remained without a ruler. 

Still centuries pasted and a Lord had not been selected for the race of warriors. Many of the stronger champions had already evolved further into their ultimate forms. BlueMaremon now dominated the stone mountains and small volcanoes, while WereGarurumon roamed the winter lands of northern Forbidden Valley along with their lower forms. In the seas MarineDevimon could be found exploring the waters, and in the arenas LadyDevimon tested their skills against digimon of equal or more strength. Soon rumors were heard of a digimon which grew so powerful he actually digievolved into mega, when these rumors reached Zhuqiaomon he quickly rose form his resting place and went to meet with the Digi-Core.

The Digi-Core confirmed the rumors and then told the great god digimon that this rumored digimon was indeed the one that the balance had selected to be the Lord of the southern digimon. The Digi-Core then commanded Zhuqiaomon to seek out and bring before him the mega. Zhuqiaomon did as he was commanded and returned to the south in search of the fabled digimon.

After a decade of searching Zhuqiaomon meet with the mega and commanded him to go before the Digi-Core. The Digi-Core gave the candidate a series of test, which the candidate passed with ease. After the candidate had completed and passed the judgment, the Digi-Core commanded Zhuqiaomon to present the him as the new leader of the south.

And so it was announce not only to the digimon of the south but to all the digiworld that Piedmon was the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers.

Now that a leader had at last been selected for the Nightmare Soldier Zhuqiaomon returned to his resting-place where he would remain until the time came for a new Lord to be judged. Soon after this, the Digi-Core created a being named Gennia and placed Azulongmon in command of him. Then the Digi-Core severed all communication he had with the four digi-Gods and left them to watch over their rejoins.

For many decades all lands were at peace. The Nightmare Soldiers prospered under their new Lord and all were content, but soon Piedmon began to grow restless. He was a warrior, a digimon created for battle yet all he did was sit in his castle and command armies to take up some other past time besides fighting. He grew weary of waiting, and the Nightmare Soldier's desired the thrill of combat. So Piedmon took his strongest armies and journey to the western rejoin. The western land was also occupied by digimon of battle. As Piedmon gazed upon the western lands his desire to conquer grew immensely. He ordered his troops to attack the strongest villages. Soon the west was a blazing battle filled.

The three Digi-Gods had hoped that Zhuqiaomon would order Piedmon to stop his attacks upon the west, but when it became obvious that Zhuqiaomon had no intentions on interfering, Azlongmon went to the west and destroyed over half of the Nightmare Soldiers battling. Piedmon was furious that Azlongmon would dare interfere with his attack and destroy his troops mercilessly. Piedmon called back his armies and returned to the south in an attempted to regroup and build a better attack plain, except now their target would not be the western lands, but instead Piedmon would bring the east to their knees. 

While preparing his troops for their attack upon the north, three megas from different rejoins appeared before Piedmon and asked if they might join his quest to conqueror. After seeing their strength Piedmon agreed and assigned each of them to a rejoin. Machinedramon, a giant metal reptile digimon built for destruction, was assigned to conquer the west. MetalSeadramon, a water serpent digimon, was given the north, while Puppetmon the youngest and most inexperience of the megas was told to watch over the south in Piedmon's absents. Piedmon then gathered his troops and traveled to the East where he raged battle with the many vaccine and holy digimon there.

As the four Dark Masters grew in strength it became evident to the three Digi-Gods that they did not have the strength to compete with them. Azulongmon ordered Gennia to search for a way to strengthen the digimon of the rebellion against the Dark Masters. During this time a digiegg slipped through the barrier of the digiworld to the real world. Two young children found the digiegg and cared for it, and under their care the digiegg was able to hatch and digivolve at an unnatural rate. To better understand the secretes behind the humans strength Gennia sent another digimon through the gates to battle the first one. During the battle it was proven that the first digimon had much more power, and so Gennia selected eight young children to come to the digiworld in hope that they would have the strength to stand against the Dark Masters.

When Piedmon discovered what was happening he attacked Gennia's headquarters and destroyed it. He then handed that area over to one of his loyalist generals and fellow Nightmare Soldiers Myotismon. Then the war against the Digi-Gods and the Dark Masters took an unexpected turn as the Dark Masters found a way to seal the great megas away. Unfortunately the only way to do this was to seal all four of the Digi-Gods away, and since Zhuqiaomon had not appeared in centuries Piedmon decided to carry out this action. He sealed the four Digi-Gods away, for as long as the balance remained disported.

Now that the four Digi-Gods had been sealed away, Piedmon directed his full attention to conquering the digiworld. However the fear of the chosen children's arrival still linger amongst the four dark megas. Piedmon sent spies throughout the world in search of Gennia, but these searches were to no avail. Gennia could not be located and the time of the children's arrival was drawing near. Since Piedmon's advisors believed that the chosen would first appear on File Island Piedmon sent Devimon, one of his more powerful generals, to keep watch for the children.

When the children arrived they proved beyond capable of defeating the four Dark Masters and their generals. When Piedmon was destroyed he, under the will of the Digi-Core was forced to select a new Lord to rule over the Nightmare Soldiers. The new Lord had to be virtuous, loyal, and noble. And so Piedmon's data sought out a soul that matched these qualities, when one was selected Piedmon's data went to rest in Forbidden valley until the candidate arrived.

Many years pasted and the candidate had not shown. The Nightmare Soldiers began to despair, not only had they lost their Lord, whom they greatly loved, but they had not yet received a sing that a new leader would come. Time past and evil lords rose and then fell at the hands of the chosen. Soon many of the Nightmare Soldiers began to search for a new ruler to serve. At this time a Dark Area digimon by the name of Deamon came before the generals of the Nightmare Soldiers and proclaimed himself as their rightful ruler. Seeing the strength of the mega demon lord, many of the Nightmare Soldiers agreed and left the land of the south to serve their new master. Those who remained loyal to the will of the Digi-Core and their fallen master waited until their true lord appeared. As time passed they began to grow weary, they wished for a new lord, of course none felt that there could ever be a leader they loved more then Piedmon, they still wished to fulfill the prophecy. Little did they know that their true lord would appear soon, and that he would be the greatest leader they could have ever imagined.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

Well what do you think of it so far? Please review and tell me what I should improve on and what was done well. Also I know I have no talent in spelling or grammar, so instead of flaming that part of the fic please give me a specific place where you saw a mistake so that I might go back and correct it. As I said please review, your reviews motivate me to write quicker, and better so please be nice and review.

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	2. Sleepless Nights, Nothing's Right

A/N: First off thank you ThatGirl and WildfireFriendship for pointing out my mistake. *Blushes* even with spell check I mess up. Anyway thank you, this chapter probably has more errors then the last (I was sick when I wrote some of this) so if there are any errors and it causes confusion I apologize.

Second thing is thanking everyone who reviewed. I appreciate your feed back very much. Oh and just to let you know I am a very slow writer, that is why it took me so long to update, but I will try to get the next chapter out much sooner.

Okay just to let you know words are in "_" and thoughts are in '_'.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon, if I did then the season one characters would have at least starred longer then one season, and the season two ending would have been shredded then burned.

A great abyss stretched out as far as the eye could see. A blanked of impenetrable clouds created a barrier, separating the vast heavens from the organic life below. A soft breeze constantly blew, and was sometimes the only sign of life on this mysterious plane of the Digital heaven. Amidst the clouds a monolith of ivory stone floated, blending in with the ever-moving white clouds.

For many centuries this haven of light remained uninhabited, cut off from the rest of the world and unreachable by any common creature. But now this silent plane was no longer absent of life. A lone figure clad in all white rested upon the monolith quietly. He sat with his legs crossed and his head bowed.

If one had been watching him they would have assumed that the young man was praying or meditating, but if they had strained their ears hard enough they would have heard a soft chant flowing fluently from his barely moving lips. The words were in a language not heard in the ever-changing Digi-World for ages. It was the ancient language of the East, spoken by the wise and righteous digimon of first age of the Digital World. These were words that had vanished from the world when the great Digi-Gods were locked away by the Dark Masters, and now this hidden plane was the only place in all the lands that they could be uttered in safety.

The man's voice began to soften until he spoke no longer. Then as soon as his voice was inaudible the breeze that blew softly and continuously began to pick up into a startling forceful blow. The wind blew through the man's hair and clothes almost aggressively yet he did not some much as wince from it's relentless force. The abyss of clouds began to move in a swirling motion, and the pleasant light began to fade into darkness. Soon the only light that was left came from the stars twinkling like diamonds in the distance.

This unnatural display of the elements went on for a few minutes then just as quickly as the wind had picked up and the light had faded, the winds died down and returned to their almost playful dance through the clouds. The warm and comforting light returned and brought sight with it. Through all of this the lone figure did not so much as flinch.

Suddenly the man looked up from where his gaze had rested through the shifts of nature. His soft and oddly wise eyes scanned the clouds and then came to rest upon the space in front of him. A small smile tugged on his normally impassive face as he spoke. 

"Welcome my friend I am glad you could find time to come and speak with me." His voice was soft and courteous.

"It is I who am glad that you have called upon me." Answer a deep and friendly voice as two pleasant red eyes shone through the blanket of clouds. "Tell me Gennia, what do you need is there a problem in the Digi-World that I am not aware of?" 

"Yes Azulongmon, there is a problem, but I am sure you are already aware of it. The Nightmare Soldiers." Gennia spoke the name of these digimon quietly and distastefully, almost as though if he spoke of them too loudly their fallen Lord would rise from his grave and haunt him mercilessly.

"Now that is a topic that has not been discussed in some time." Answered Azulongmon amusingly. 

"This in no laughing matter my Lord, more and more of them turn to Deamon everyday. Deamon is not their true ruler, he will not be able to control them much longer. We should destroy them before they get out of control again, or before a new leader is found." Gennia urged the thought of the first battle against the destructive creatures flashing through his mind.

"Gennia my friend, you know as well as I do that we do not have the strength to compete with them. We could not even defeat them in our strongest state, so how do you think such a battle will go now?" Azulongmon's voice was stern but also held pity. He hated the Nightmare Soldiers just as much as Gennia, if not more, but he also knew that charging into battle with them would be foolish.

"They were strong when they had a leader, but now they are scattered and leaderless, we can pick them off quickly and easily." Gennia argued.

"It does not matter if they are divided, if you attack one of them you will have to face them all, and we do not have the strength for that." Azulongmon explained slightly annoyed by Gennia's persistence.

"Then what shall we do?" Gennia asked almost like a child asking his father the secrets of life and unable to understand why he has no answer.

Azulongmon sighed sadly then responded. "We will wait, and hope that the true Lord will come soon. And that he will be strong and desire peace."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ring!" the sound of a mechanical bell went off slicing through the dead silence of the room. A few grunts and moans could be heard mingling with the sound of the alarm clock. A shaky hand rose out from under a dark blue comforter and slammed on the off button, silencing the alarm clock's piercing ring.

Matt peered out of his covers and looked at the small machine he had just so gently turned off. It took a few minutes for his eyes to focus but once they did he could see the neon red digits displaying seven o'clock. He moaned then laid his head back on his pillow as he began to processes the number on the clock.

"Oh crap!" Matt shouted as realization dawned on him. He has to be at school by eight and it was a fifteen-minute walk. Sure that left him plenty of time to get ready, but hardly enough time to stop for coffee on the way. 

"I hate early morning, the only thing worse then early morning is early morning without coffee." He complained to himself.

Grunting with agitation he kicked off his blankets and went to his closet in search of something suitable to wear. After going through the clothes twice he decided to settle for a pair of baggy jeans and a button down navy blue shirt.

After changing he headed to the bathroom to attend to his hair. 'I hate doing this every day.' He thought to himself as he turned on the bathroom faucet. ' Why can't I go one day without looking perfect? I always have to look like I stepped out of a fashion magazine or people will think that I'm sick or something.' He cursed silently, as he took a hand full of cold water and splashed it on his faces. The cool liquid ran down his pail skin tenderly. He stared at his face with a scowl; dark circles had begun to form under his eyes. He stared at the blemishes thoughtfully. They probably wouldn't be as noticeable on someone with darker skin, but on him they stood out like bruises under his crystal eyes.

"Mental note, going to bed at three in the morning and waking up at seven probably isn't the healthiest was to live your life." Matt commented sarcastically to himself.

Of course it wasn't healthy, but no one had ever given him a bedtime, his father was hardly ever home, and whenever he was he never tried to interfere with Matt's schedule. TK of course would get on to him all the time about his over exertion, and would often times lecture him about a healthy lifestyle. 

Matt smiled at the thought of his younger brother and the way he worried about him. Sighing in amusement and weariness Matt turned back to the task of getting ready for school.

It only took fifteen minutes for him to style his hair and gather his things. Picking up his backpack and swinging it over his shoulder Matt headed for the front door. As he walked slowly down the hall of his apartment he noticed everything in perfect detail. He noticed how quiet it was with him being the only one home. He noticed the dust that had begun to accumulate on ever item in the house due to the fact that neither he nor his dad had any time to clean. But the main thing that stood out in the small apartment was the darkness. It didn't matter if it was noon and every light in the building was on, the small apartment still remained dark.

'Dark and cold kind of like me.' Matt thought to himself with a frown. It seemed like every time he was begging to take a step forward, begging to become more open and caring something would grab hold of him and jerk him back into depression. 

"Tai's right I do think to much." With that Matt opened the front door and left the dark and drearisome apartment. As he stepped into the outside world it felt like a great burden had been lifted from him. The loneliness, the silence, even the darkness could not reach him out here in the realm of the living. Out here he was free from all his haunting thoughts.

It didn't take long for Matt to reach his first destination the local coffee shop, called The Daily Grind. He entered the small shop flashing the young woman at the counter a small smile before walking up to place his order.

"I'll have a tall double white café mocha." The girl at the counter nodded and went to work on his order. 

As he waited Matt watched the young woman closely. She was definitely new, but despite that she seemed to know how to work everything. The girl finished making Matt's drink and laid it on the counter with a lid already placed securely on the top. 

"That will be three fifty." She said with little interest. Matt pulled out for dollar bills, handed them to the girl and told her to keep the change.

The blond walked down the sidewalk silently, taking small sips of his coffee as he moved effortlessly towards his school. Of course his thoughts were on anything but school. 'Why can't I sleep at night. It can't be from coffee I only drink it in the morning. Why do I keep having these stupid dreams, and then wake up and remember nothing about them.' these thoughts kept circling his head as he tried to come up with a conclusion.

Suddenly a cheerful cry broke through Matt's reverie. "Hey Matt!" 

A slight smile tugged at Matt's lips as he looked up and was greeted by a pair of gleeful baby-blue eyes. "Hey TK, where you heading?" he asked his younger brother with a kind smile.

"The same place you are I would guess." TK answered casually as he fell in place by his brother's side and began to walk with him at a steady pace.

The two walked in silence for a couple of blocks until they reached the street where both the high school and junior high were. Finally as they approached the two buildings TK asked the question that had been upsetting him for the entire walk. 

"Matt are you all right? You look like you haven't slept in ages. Is there something wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.

Matt cursed silently. He was hoping to avoid this particular conversation today, but it would seem that his younger brother's concern was inescapable. "I'm fine TK, I just stayed up late last night practicing my bass. You know once I get started I can't put it down." Matt answered praying that TK wouldn't see through his well rehearsed excused.

"Okay if you say so." TK answered dropping the subject, but obviously not fully believing him. "Are you doing anything this weekend?" 

"I don't have any plans." Matt answered as he stopped walking and lined against the schoolyard fence.

TK also stopped walking and turned to face his brother. This was sort of a tradition for them. They would spend the extra minutes before class started talking and making plans for the day or in this case the weekend. Matt never told TK how many times this little tradition had caused him to be late for first period. TK's school started twenty minutes after his, but it didn't matter to him. Sometimes this was the only conversation he and his brother would get to have during the day, and he never regretted one of them.

TK stared at his brother closely, he knew something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what. "Matt is there something" Before he could finish his question Matt cut him off.

"Oh no, you've already had your questions for the day now it's my turn." Matt said with a smile.

TK smiled too, this seemed a little more like his brother. "Okay, shoot." TK answered with amusement.

Matt was silent for a moment, he seemed to be contemplating weather he should ask his question or let his brother go back to interrogating him. "How is everything in the Digital World?" Matt asked almost uncertainly.

TK seemed a little surprised; Matt hadn't displayed much interest in the Digi-World over the past couple of years. He had sort of grown away from the whole saving the world thing. He spent most of his time practicing music, and the only time he and Gabumon hung out were when the digimon would come and visit their partners in the real world. 

"Well everything has been pretty peaceful since the defeat of Malomyotismon. The digimon have finished rebuilding their towns and cities, and they have put small governments together."

Matt just nodded his head in response to what his brother said. His mind began to drift back to the first adventure the Digidestined had. It didn't matter how much he wanted to think about something else, for some reason his thoughts always ended up on the battle with Piedmon. He didn't really understand why he thought about it so much, but for some reason he always found himself reliving that fight, reliving all the strange feelings that had passed through him during that battle. 

"Earth to Matt, Come in Matt." TK waved his hand in front of his big brother's face in an attempt to get his attention.

Matt blinked as his thoughts returned to the present. "Sorry TK I guess I most of zoned out. Anyway I have to go, first period starts in five minutes and I don't want to be late." With that Matt walked towards his school and disappeared within the crowd of students rushing to get to class.

TK sighed heavily as he began to walk toward his on school.

'Matt sure has been acting strange lately. I wonder why he hasn't been sleeping well, and why he refuses to talk to me about it.' these thoughts were constantly running through TK's mind, but now he had something else bothering him. Why would Matt ask about the Digital World? He never seems to have a desire to go there. It's almost like he is afraid of something there, but now out of no where he's interested in what was happening there. 'I wonder what's really bothering him. Whatever it is I'm going to find out.' With that last decision made TK enter his school and headed to his locker.

~*~*~*~*~

School went by very slow for Matt. Each class seemed to drag on longer then the last, but finally after what seemed like ages the bell rang announcing that school was out for the weekend. Matt rushed to his locker as quickly as possible and began to gather his books. 

"Thank god it's Friday." He whispered to himself as he zipped up his backpack. 'Hopefully I can get out of here without being noticed.' He thought, pleading that no one would see him or want to have conversion, as he closed his locker and locked it.

"Hey Matt." A friendly voice echoed through the halls.

'Dang it!' Matt sighed in defeated and turned to answer the person who had addressed him. "Hey Tai how's it going?" he asked trying to sound casual.

"Not bad." Tai answered with a smile. "Why weren't you at lunch today?" 

'Because I have been avoiding everyone!' Matt thought to himself wishing he could just come out and say it. "I had lunch in the music room, I wanted to have extra time to work on the piece the school band is playing in the up coming competition." Matt answered. 'And I haven't felt like talking to any of you.'

"You and music." Tai teased.

"So what are you doing this afternoon?" Matt asked knowing that Tai wouldn't go away until he felt the two of them had had a decent conversation.

"Me and some friends are going to the park to play some soccer." Tai answered with a grin.

"You and soccer." Matt mocked with a small smile.

Tai punch Matt in the arm playful then answered. "Very funny, anyway do you want to come? We can use an extra guy." 

Matt thought about it for a moment. 'Maybe it would be good if I went. I need to get out of my apartment and it wouldn't hurt for me to be around my friends outside of school.' Matt was just about to answer yes, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I think I'm going to sit this one out Tai, I have a lot of homework. I want to get done with it so I can have the whole weekend stress free." Matt answered surprising himself with how well he was getting at lying.

"Okay, but you know a little sunshine definitely wouldn't hurt you." Tai joked as he left and headed towards his locker.

'Yeah a little light might at least give me peace.' Matt thought dolorously.

~*~*~*~*~

"I'm home!" Matt shouted, announcing to no one that he had arrived at his apartment. 'We need a cat or something. At least then I wouldn't be talking to myself.' 

Walking into the living room he threw his backpack on the ground and sat down in the old recliner in the corner. 

' Why am I doing this to myself. I keep isolating myself from the world. I thought I was over the whole lone wolf thing. Maybe I just need some sleep that's all. I have been over exhausting myself, and it's probably for no reason to.' He thought to himself, trying to rationalize his strange behavior.

As Matt headed to his room, his mind began to drift passing over every subject before coming to rest on one concern. "I wonder how Gabumon is doing." He quickly tried to push all thoughts of his Digimon companion away as he entered his room and prepared to practice his bass.

Hours had passed and it was already early morning, but Matt still couldn't sleep. Every night he would just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling for hours. He had tried everything relaxing exercise, warm milk, even medication, but the only thing he got out of those where aggravation and more questions. His dad had suggested he visits a psychologist, but Matt refused to even consider the idea.

'Everyone thinks I have it so well with my popularity, good looks, and musical talent, well I'd give up all of those for one night of peaceful sleep.' He thought despondently.

A broken streetlight outside his window kept flickering; the flashing light cast shadows upon the bedroom's barren walls. The shadows created deranged illusions, each with a great significance to him. A chair would look like a wolf or a lamp like a figure with swords; the dark images would dance around his room in a fearsome ballet. 

"I can't take this anymore, why do you keep haunting me!" Matt shouted at the obscure scenes playing out before his tiered gaze.

Tears began to form in his eyes, as understanding of his own insanity became clear. All the sleepless nights, all the haunting dreams and images, their significance were becoming more obvious by the minute.

All this time Matt had been avoiding the Digi-World. Even during the battles with the Digimon Emperor, he stayed away. Sure he came whenever he was absolutely needed or he helped out in the real world in anyway he could, but Matt never just went to the Digi-World to be there. 

Suddenly something his brother had said came back to him. _"The Digital World is a part of who we are, just like our Digimon. We are a part of it and it a part of us, probably one of the best parts."_

'TK was right the Digi-World is a part of me, but if that is so then why am I running away from it?' Matt thought to himself as he wiped away a tear that had strayed down his cheek. 'Well no longer I won't keep running from this. If the answers I'm looking for are in the Digi-World then that's were I have to go.' 

With that decided Matt rose from his bed, and walked over to his dresser. After feeling around in the top chest for a minute, he pulled out a small hand held digital device with a triumphant smile. 'It's been a long time since I've used this, I wonder if it still works.' 

After he had his digivice, he put on his shoes and then headed towards his computer. It was already booted up, so he wasted no time. 'Okay how does Izzy do this again?' he thought for a moment before deciding to simply imitate what the younger Digisetined do.

"Digi-port open!" at his command the port appeared on the computer. A bright light filled the room as Matt was pulled in the screen. Within a second the light was gone and the room was empty.

~*~*~*~*~

Sorry that the end sucked, I actually had a different ending written, but it was even worse so, I went back and rewrote it. Well as always please review, constructive criticism is always welcome. I want to try to get five reviews before I update this, so please review.

Oh I need some help. Due to the fact that MegChan's site closed down (yes I am devastated about that too) I have no way to get info on some of the digimon I wanted to put in this fic. If you know of any sites that give detail about digimon: Name, attack, type, family: would you please tell me I would be most appreciative. 


	3. The First Test

A/N: well here is the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last, your reviews really helped build my confidence to continue this. Oh and just a reminder, there is no romance in this fic so if you think you are seeing hints of romance then you would be mistaken. However if you would like to think of relationships in this fic as romantic ones then please feel free to.

I should also apologize for this taking so long, but once you hear the reason I hope you will understand. I have been taking some medication that really puts me out. It makes me very drowsy so when I do try to type my mind is so numb that I can't think of anything or I get frustrated very easily. Sometimes I have to go back and delete everything I wrote because it makes no sense (I deleted and re-wrote over half of this chapter twice). So please bear with me, I will update as often as possible, just please keep giving me feed back so I know that the story is being read.

Disclaimer: Digimon is not mine, but once I conquer the world and lead everyone in a giant conga line, then maybe I can own Digimon and go back and add more season for the season one characters, but until then Digimon is not mine. (That sure is a long sentence.)

A radiant light shone from the small TV resting in a clearing of a large forest. The rays glistened brightly illuminating the entire clearing in flashes of bright color. The light began to intensify as a tall figure emerged from the small screen. As soon as the figure had completely emanated from the television, the light vanished leaving the figure in the shadows of early morning.

Matt looked at his surroundings carefully. He was in a forest that seemed to stretch out for miles upon miles. Each tall tree loomed over him creating a canopy of green leafs and dark wood. In the distance a great mountain range stood proudly, the massive figures of stone reached so high that they seemed to touch heaven. The sun had yet to rise over these grand peaks, and so the land was still blanketed in the darkness of night. 

Slowly Matt began to walk into the forest. The ground was soft from the morning dew which accumulated on every blade of grass. A cool wind blew from the high mountains down to the shady wood. The cold air and lingering darkness cast a sense of ominous fear into Matt, but he tried not to focus on the feeling, instead he drew his attention to where he was walking. This forest was unknown to him, and it had no traces of life except for himself and the unusual plants that grew everywhere.

The stillness made little sense in Matt's mind considering that every part of the Digital World seemed to have some life, and a forest should be completely inhabited with a variety of Digimon. The only explanation he could come up with to the absents of life was that the nocturnal Digimon had already returned to their homes for rest, while the Digimon of the day had yet to rise from their beds.

'I wonder if Gabumon is anywhere near here?' Matt thought to himself. He long desperately to see his furry companion, he wanted to run with him, and to sit down and tell him all his problems just like he use to. No matter what he was feeling Gabumon always seemed to have an answer; it always seemed like he wanted to listen. 

'He even understood the message behind my harmonica. No one not even TK truly understood why I played that instrument so often.' At these thoughts Matt reached in his pocket and pulled out a small metal item. The metallic instrument seemed to glimmer in his hand as if it were saying it had the answers to his pain.

Matt looked around the forest until he spotted a large tree. Sighing quietly he walked over to the tree and sat down leaning against the cool wood for support and relaxation.

After he was comfortable, he brought his precious harmonica to his lips and blew softly. At first the notes came out shaky, as though Matt were uncertain as to whether he should brake the silence with his feelings of pain and confusion; or simply let the silence and his feelings grow to the point that they could consume him and take him from his life of depression.

Soon the notes became steadier as they range out into the forest braking the silence in a beautiful melody of loneliness and sorrow. The sounds of Matt's soul filled the forest and brought an unusual peace to the land. He continued to play through the sunrise until the light of morning touched his pail face.

"A very lovely sound." An eerie yet enchanting voice spoke once Matt had completed his song. 

Matt jumped up quickly and looked around searching for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" he questioned after he could not locate the person who had spoke.

"It's odd though, I always imagined Digidestined as joyous creatures, but your music gives off the impression that you are depressed." As these words were being said a Digimon floated down slowly from the tree that Matt had been leaning on.

"Ladydevimon." Matt spoke the name of the Digimon quietly as he watched her land softly on the ground in front of him.

"I'm sorry have we meet? If so I don't remember." She spoke casually as though they were simply conversing over a cup of tea.

Matt looked at her slightly confused. He had expected the fallen angel to attack him immediately, but the dark creature appeared to have no intention of harming him. "I guess we haven't meet, but I have meet others of your kind." He explained as he returned his harmonica to his pocket.

Ladydevimon looked at Matt closely, her scarlet eyes studied every movement the young man made. "If you have meet others like me then you would know how dangerous our kind is, yet you do not seem afraid at all." She spoke almost in wonder at the facts she had learned by watching him.

"Why should I be afraid?" Matt asked, almost mocking the maiden demon before him.

Ladydevimon seemed taken back by Matt's boldness, but she quickly contained her composure. "Simple boy, because of what I can do to you." She threaten trying to instill fear into the brave teen before her.

Matt looked at Ladydevimon emotionlessly, his crystal blue eyes narrowed as he answered. "The worst you can do is kill me, and I am not afraid to die." With that last remark Matt turned away from the shocked digimon and began to trek deeper into the forest.

Ladydevimon was frozen in complete shock. This boy was nothing like the Digidesitned had been described to her. He showed no emotion, except through his soulful music. He had no fear, at least not of her. Soon her fascination with this lone Digidesitned went beyond his beautiful music to who he was and what he was searching for.

She shook her head slightly to clear her mind and then began to chase after the boy who was now some distance ahead of her. Her long ghost white hair flowed softly behind her as she moved through the wind hovering above the forest floor.

"Child wait." She called once she was close enough. 

Matt stopped for a moment allowing Ladydevimon to catch up with him. "What do you want?" he snapped in annoyance without turning around to face her.

Ladydevimon fluttered back slightly from Matt's anger, she couldn't understand why his words were hurting her so much, nor could she understand why she was so interested in him. "I was only curious, why are you in the Digi-World?" she asked uncertainly, afraid that if she spoke the wrong words she would receive another blow of anger.

"I'm looking for someone." This time Matt had regained his cold emotionless voice.

Ladydevimon smiled inwardly, as she floated over Matt's head and landed before his face. "Who are you looking for?" she asked softly in an attempted to keep on the boy's good side.

"A friend." As Matt spoke he lifted his head so that he could look the curious digimon in the eyes.

Ladydevimon raised an eyebrow in response to Matt's answer. 

"I'm looking for my digimon partner, he's a Gabumon." He informed her, hoping the answer would settle her curiosity.

"Well I'm afraid you will not find any Gabumon around here. Very few digimon in this area remain in their rookie form, and I know for certain that there are no Gabumon near here." 

Matt was uncertain on whether he should believe Ladydevimon or not. Fallen angel digimon haven't really proven to be the most trust worthy creatures in the past, but this particular Ladydevimon seemed different from the ones he had encountered in previous battles. "Well if there are no Gabumon around here then I guess I should go back home and try the Digi-Port again." 

"It is strange that a gate from your world opened up to this land, no outsiders have ever come to the south. I do not understand how you were able to come here." She answered trying to solve the unusual puzzle of this Digidestined and his presence here.

"I guess I really don't' know how to use the Digi-Port, I'll just have Izzy open it for me next time." As Matt said this he began to walk in the direction of the TV he had enter the world in.

Ladydevimon floated quietly behind Matt, her thin form moved quietly as she passed under the shadows of the trees following her new obsession. Matt tried to ignore the enchanting demon, but her following him around was begging to irritate him. Still he decided not to voice his aggravation. Finally the two arrived at the clearing that Matt had stood at when he first entered the southern lands.

Matt looking around the open space surrounded by the darkened woodland. "Where is the TV?" Matt asked desperately, the small TV containing the power to send him home was no where in sight.

"What is the matter?" Ladydevimon asked the now frantic Matt.

Matt stopped his searched and looked at Ladydevimon accusingly. "You did something with it didn't you!"

The dark angel looked at him with a hurt expression that quickly turned into anger. "I don't know what you are talking about, I don't even know what a TV is!" she shouted at the strained blond. "All I tried to do was be kind to you and offer you my help, but you have been nothing but rude and ungrateful this entire time." After Ladydevimon had expressed her feelings she turned around and headed into the forest.

'There I go again snapping at people before I have the facts. I don't get any of this, why am I even in the Digi-World.' Matt tried to clear his mind, so many questions clouded his thoughts leaving him confused and lost. 'I should go after her and apologize.'

He took off running swiftly in the direction Ladydevimon had gone. His speed and agility surprised him as he moved effortlessly through the obstacles the forest produced. Finally after running a few miles, which took little time for him, he stopped and looked around. He was now at the edge of the forest; he could see the multitude of trees stretching out behind him while a flat grassy land was before him.

'How did I run this far and not even notice? And why aren't I tiered?' Matt thought to himself as the new mystery began to circle his mind. Finally he realized that he could find no answer to his unusual feelings of strength so instead he turned his attention to the task that had caused him to stop.

Matt looked around the edge of the forest, he wasn't certain how but for some reason he just knew that Ladydevimon was near. He could sense her power, sense her very soul. He didn't understand what was going on inside him; he closed his eyes allowing instinct to take over. Somehow his mind began to focus and he could feel everything around him. 

He could feel the forest digimon that he had thought didn't existed. He could feel Ladydevimon watching him near by. He cold feel himself; cold, confused, and oddly at place in this strange area of the Digital World. Then suddenly all of this went black, all the digimon vanished and all he could feel was an unmistakable and familiar presence. The power from this being clogged all his other senses sending fear through his heart as he lost all knowledge of where he was. The power was growing stronger causing his whole body to be weakened; he could feel his legs sway beneath him and his breathing become labored. Darkness was all around him calling him forth to its blissful shadows.

"Boy are you all right?" a voice broke through the darkness calling him out of its luring depths.

Matt blinked as the darkness lifted leaving him in the world of light.

"What is the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost." The voice continued this time more earnestly.

As Matt's eyes began to focus he saw Ladydevimon standing closely by looking down at him with concern. The darkness had left Matt and with it went all of the confusion all of the fear. He now knew what he was seeking. 

"I think I did see a ghost, or I felt one anyway." Matt answered softly as he focused on the feelings inside of him. "Ladydevimon, I'm sorry I accused you of removing the TV, and I'm sorry that I yelled at you." He didn't wait for a reply from the concerned digimon, after he had given his apology he turned around and began to walk away. His mind was set on finding the source of the power he had sensed, everything else lost meaning to him. He didn't care that he may never find a way home or that he might be attacked by some ravenous digimon with no way to defend himself; the only thing that concerned him was the dark power coming from some unknown origin.

Ladydevimon watched the now focused blond walk steadily away from the forest. She was now the one confused, as Matt seemed to have lost interest in everything around him. "Boy! Boy wait!" she shouted as she approached the Digidestined.

Matt seemed to be ignoring her as he continued his trek. Ladydevimon was about to speak to him again when he cut her off. "Listen my name is Matt not boy. So if you wish to speak with me then call me by my name or do not address me at all." He didn't say this as though he were angry or annoyed; his voice sounded even, polite but also commanding and firm. So much so that it took Ladydevimon by surprise.

"You sounded like someone I use to know." She spoke melancholy. When Matt didn't response to this Ladydevimon decided to ask what was bothering her. "Where are you going Matt?" she used his name in respect of his requested, and in exchange for her courtesy Matt decided to answer her.

"To be honest I'm not exactly certain, when I was looking for you I sensed a powerful darkness coming from the mountains, so I'm going to go find it." he answer still sounding distant as his mind focused on his task.

Ladydevimon decided to continue following Matt. He had proven to be an intriguing person and following him was a good brake from her everyday routine.

So the two traversed through the grassy plains which separated them from the rocky region. For a little over an hour they trek without rest or speech. When at last they arrived at the foot of the mountains Ladydevimon dared to brake the silence that had grown accustom amongst the two travelers.

"What is it that you think you will find up there?" she asked as she gazed upon the towering cliffs of stone.

"Again I don't know, hopefully the source of the darkness I felt. I really wish the others were here, they might already know something about this." Matt said sadly, the whole reason he came to the Digital World was to find Gabumon and spend quality time with his friends. But now he was in some strange land searching for a dark power with a Ladydevimon. The irony of the situation almost amused him, searching for a dark power with the help of a fallen angel digimon.

"I was wondering why you didn't come with your comrades. I thought that you all stayed together like a wolf pack." Ladydevimon spoke casually as she watched Matt stumble through the rocky terrain. 

Matt considered what Ladydevimon had just said. It was true that they were a team, and when it came down to it they stuck together but for some reason he always ended up away from them. "I guess you could call me the lone wolf, I'm there for them whenever they need me, but I have my own ideas, and my own destiny. I know that I couldn't follow them all the time. My path leads in a different direction, but no matter what happens I will always stir away from my road to help them on theirs." For once Matt spoke confidently about taking his own path even if it meant leaving the others.

'TK doesn't need me anymore, he has grown up so much that he is the one looking out for the others. I wanted to lie to myself, I wanted to believe that they still need me on their journeys but it's not true. Tai has also grown, he doesn't rush into things anymore and he has the group's safety in mind on every mission. They can handle their paths. Now it's time that I take the first steps down mine.' Matt thought to himself as he continued to climb the mountain.

The mountain actually wasn't that difficult to climb. It only had a few steep parts, and the rest was just a steady uphill climb. Soon Matt was walking on a level area overshadowed by two cliffs. There were no plants or river, just a large stone step placed between to towering walls of rock that reached the clouds.

"The power is near, very near." Matt stated as he walked cautiously into the shadows.

"I sense it too, it feels like" Ladydevimon stopped short as the shock of her own revelation came upon her.

"It feels like what?" Matt asked urgently, as fear began to grow inside him.

"Piedmon." She spoke in awe at the power coming from the shadowed area between the cliffs.

"Piedmon?" on instinct Matt reach for his digivice, but stopped short as he remembered that Gabumon was not with him.

"Yes it is my Lord Piedmon, but his powers are very faint." Ladydevimon stated as she headed into the shadows. "How is it that you were able to sense them from so far away, when I can barley feel his power now?" 

"You have to be mistaken, that can't be Piedmon's power we're sensing. He was destroyed, so it has to be something else." Matt argued. He was certain it couldn't be Piedmon. The clown digimon was dead, but still the thought and fear grew in Matt, as he could find no other being that matched this darkness.

"Why dear Child of Friendship are you always so certain of everything." An amused voice chided from within the shadows.

Matt stepped back in fear as a figure emerged from the darkness. The Emperor of the dark digimon looked exactly the same as the day he battle the Digidestined. A twisted smile bored on his lips and two razor sharp swords were fastened securely to his back.

"Lord Piedmon!" Ladydevimon's stunned voice broke through Matt's shocked state. He turned to look at the demon only to see her fall to one knee in reverence to her Lord.

'Well there goes any help I hoped to receive.' Now Matt truly wished the others were with him, or at least Gabumon. 'My sleepless night weren't that bad, was gaining peace of mind really worth an encounter with the worst enemy we every faced?' Matt continued to lecture himself on how foolish he was until Piedmon's voice brought him back to his current situation.

"Do not bow before me Maiden of Darkness, after all how could I be your Lord when I am dead." The mega digimon mocked as he turned to face the lone Digidestined.

Matt was afraid really afraid, but he had learned a long time ago to never let your opponent see your fear. So he put on his best poker face as he tried to stare down his opponent, as he was doing this he began to go over opposition for escape. At first he thought that he could try to run away, but he ruled that out as he remembered how well Piedmon could throw his swords.

"Poor Yamato, no friends here to help him, he's all alone just like the last time darkness came to claim him. Of course this time you don't even have your little puppy dog to help you, how sad." Piedmon smiled as he approached the panicked teen. "Now I can finally finish the job I began four years ago." As Piedmon stated this he reached for one of his swords and sent it flying towards Matt.

Matt screamed in horror as the blade came at him with startling speed. He closed his eyes waiting for the blade to pierce his body and send him into eternal rest, when suddenly the sound of swift movement cause him to look at the seen once more. He opened his eye just in time to see a shadow fly between him and the approaching sword. The shadow took the full force of the attack getting knocked to the ground in a bloody heap.

"Ladydevimon!" Matt shouted as he ran to the fallen digimon. "Ladydevimon, why did you do that?" his voice was frantic but shattered. This creature of darkness just saved his life for the Lord she was suppose to serve.

"I don't really know. I guess I didn't want your music to vanish from this world, at least not until all have heard it." she choked out through labored breath.

Tears began to flow from Matt's eye, mingling with Ladydevimon's blood which had splattered upon his face and clothes when Piedmon's attack pierced her skin. "You are a true friend Ladydevimon." Matt sobbed as he took the demon digimon's hand in his own.

"Oh, how touching I might just cry." Piedmon derided as he hovered closely by.

Anger consumed Matt as he looked upon the malefic digimon. "How could you not care that one of your own servants is dying." He shouted in rage.

Piedmon laughed at this before replying. "I gave her a chance to choose her loyalties and I now know where she stands." He explained with a wicked smile.

Matt released Ladydevimon's now trembling hand and stood to face the jeering clown. "Help her!" he demanded as he glared at Piedmon.

"Why dear Yamato you seem upset." He mocked Matt's pain, and reveled in the sight of the boy in distress. "I am afraid I can not do anything for her, but you can." He stated with a deceitful smile.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked quietly as tears began to flow once more.

Piedmon's smile widened as deception shone in his eyes. "If you can defeat me then Ladydevimon will be healed." 

Matt's eyes widened in shock, but then narrowed again as he saw what Piedmon was doing. "How could I possible contend with a mega level digimon?" he was now enraged with Piedmon and his games.

"I don't know Yamato, that is something you will have to figure out if you want to save your _friend_ there." Piedmon replied coolly.

Matt looked back at the injured digimon. Crimson flowed from her wound and formed a puddle of red liquid beneath her. Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths. Her whole body was going limp from the loss of blood. "How do I know she will be healed?" he asked as his gaze left the dying creature and returned to the baneful digimon.

"I suppose you will never know if you do not fight me and win." The challenger responded.

Matt thought carefully, going over the situation many times and every time his mind formed only one answer. "I will fight you." He replied quietly as he turned to look at Ladydevimon once more.

"Good." Piedmon answered as he floated down and stood ready to fight the boy.

Matt looked at Piedmon again then he turned his eyes to the ground as another problem entered his mind. His opponent had weapon and powers, and the only thing he had was a few martial arts lessons which he had quit a long time ago. "I don't have a weapon, so how am I going to fight you?" he asked feeling slightly embarrassed by his own weakness.

A twisted smile formed on the clown's lips once again as he raised his hand and pointed behind Matt. Matt quickly turned around to see what Piedmon was indicating at when he saw Ladydevimon with the sword Piedmon had used earlier cleaved into her side.

Matt turned back to Piedmon; his eyes pleading mercy for the fallen digimon. "If I pull that sword out, her bleeding is going to get worse, she could die within minutes." He argued hopelessly trying to convince Piedmon to offer him another solution.

"Well then you had best beat me quickly." The demented clown jeered with a trace of glee in his haunting voice.

Matt griped his fist at his side so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white. He turned away from the amused clown and walked slowly to where Ladydevimon rested, and bent down to look her in the eyes.

As Matt took her hand she opened her eyes. The scarlet orbs flashed with mixed emotions, anger, fear, pain, and peace all of these shone in one powerful gaze. "You don't have to do this." her breathing became even more labored as she spoke. "You can run, get away from this monster now." she spoke, urging the teen to run before he suffered the same fate as her.

"I can't leave you here like this, I am responsible for you." He said sounding sure of his decision. "And I have to beat him once and for all." His eyes held confidence, and compassion giving strength to the fallen angel.

Ladydevimon nodded her head with effort, showing her support and approval. With that Matt laid his hand upon the hilt of Piedmon's sword and signaled what he was about to do. Ladydevimon's grip upon Matt's hand turned to iron; her teeth grinned together as she suppressed a yell of pain. Soon the sword was completely removed from her side. More blood began to flow from her wound, as the blade was no longer there to clog the injury.

"Get a hit in there for me." Ladydevimon said as she began to relax once more.

Matt smiled down at her while he griped the sword in his right hand. "I will." He replied softly as he let go of her hand and stood to begin his battle with the once Leader of the Dark Masters.

Piedmon smiled maliciously as Matt approached him with a stern face. "Well its about time, I was afraid I would die of old age before you got here." He laughed and then returned to his fighting stance.

Everything left Matt; his thoughts were completely focused on one thing Piedmon. The fear that he may never see TK or Gabumon again, the fact that he didn't know how to use a sword, even Ladydevimon his new found and now dying friend left him completely. The only thing that matter in Matt's mind was destroying this macabre clown before him.

Matt gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in his hands. Ladydevimon's blood ran down the steel blade making small rivers of crimson that fell in tiny droplets onto the cool stone ground. He took a deep breath summoning all of his strength and courage before charging at his opponent. He ran at full speed, the blade of the sword tilted out ready to be embedded in the mocking clown.

Piedmon watched the charging boy with an amused smile, as Matt drew closer he simply floated into the air avoiding the teen's attack completely. 

Matt looked up at the elevated clown just in time to see him prepare an attack. With a startling 'Clown Trick' a ball of energy came flying towards Matt at incredible speed. He tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late the attack hit him with full force, knocking the sword out of his hands and sending him flying. He landed a few feet away with a loud thump on the rocky ground. 

Piedmon watched as the dust settled and revealed a crumbled bloody teen. Scrapes and bruises covered Matt's body, some from the blast and some from landing on the sharp rocks of the mountain. Matt moaned in pain as he breathed in quick tiered breaths. Dust gathered on his sweat and blood covered skin. His whole body was in pain as he was certain that every bone in his body must be broken. He forced himself to open his eyes and watch the blow of death that he was sure was coming.

Piedmon walked slowly towards the fallen boy, his eyes sparkled with glee and his sadistic smile broadened with the pleasure of seeing one of the Digidestined in pain. "I was hoping for more of a challenge, but what else can I expect from someone as weak as you." 

Piedmon's words hurt more then the immense pain that racked his body. 'I am weak, maybe Piedmon is doing the world a favor for getting rid of me. The world doesn't need me; the others don't need me. Not even TK needs me, not anymore, and he hasn't needed me for a long time.' Tears began to form in Matt's eyes at the thought of his little brother.

Piedmon saw the defeat in Matt so he decided to continue with his mocking. "Oh don't worry Yamato I'm sure you won't be missed." He laughed speaking the thoughts that were going through Matt's mind. "Perhaps your brother is a better fighter then you, I will have to find out once I'm through with you." 

That brought Matt back. The thought of Piedmon attacking his brother made everything else seem meaningless. Suddenly all the pain and defeat left Matt, he had a new mission protecting his little brother from the evil looming over him.

Piedmon griped his sword and held it over Matt's chest. He had lost interest with jeering at the boy, and was now preparing to finish the task of destroying him. Matt snapped back to life just as Piedmon was about to bring his sword down upon his chest. In a swift movement Matt rolled out from under the attack then he quick swung his leg kicking Piedmon in the knees and knocking him to the ground.

While Piedmon was distracted by the unexpected blow Matt jumped up and quickly scanned over the battle filed for his sword. To his relief he spotted the blade covered in dust and dried blood a few feet away. As he went to retrieve his sword he felt a shocking pain irrupt from his right leg. He looked over his shoulder to see Piedmon standing right behind him. The clown had sent energy into Matt's lower thigh in an attempt to prevent the blond from reaching his weapon. 

Piedmon forced Matt to turn around; he then grabbed the weakened boy by the neck and lifted him into the air. Matt choked and struggled as he fought for air and freedom. Piedmon only smile at Matt's attempts to free himself.

"You have a fighting spirit Child of Friendship, but it is over. You are defeated and soon your friends will be too." The clown's voice sounded cold and cruel as he amused himself with Matt's suffering.

'I can't let him win. He'll go after the others if I don't stop him.' Matt thought to himself as images of his friends being tortured and destroyed passed through his mind. "I'm going to stop you Piedmon even if I get destroyed too. There is no way I'm going to let you lay a hand on my friends!" as Matt shouted his threat a bright light began to surround him.

Piedmon dropped the glowing boy and shrunk back in fear and confusion. The Crest of Friendship appeared on Matt's chest shining like the determination in his blue eyes. The light from his crest completely engulfed Matt, radiating off his body like a shield created from his desire to protect his friends.

"I don't understand, how could this happen!" Piedmon shirked in response to the power coming from his now standing opponent.

Matt smiled, wisdom from a child who had suffered and triumph shone in his eyes. "Friendship is greater then Darkness." Matt's voice sounded distant and out of place amongst the blood covered battlefield. "Darkness can only destroy, while Friendship can destroy and create." With that Matt held his right hand out to the side. The crest of friendship appeared upon his hand just as it had upon his chest. The blue symbol, which was Matt's identity, shone brightly upon his hand, the light grew and began to stretch out and form the shape of sword. Then the crest vanished from his hand and the light turned into a solid weapon of steel.

The blade of the sword was long and shone like freshly polished silver. The hilt of the sword was a dark sliver with the Crest of Friendship carved proudly on both sides. 

Matt smile at the sight of the blade, not seeming surprised to see the glittering sword at all. He griped the sword with both hands, feeling far more comfortable with this weapon then with the one Piedmon had given him. He swished the sword gracefully then charged at Piedmon just as he had done before, only this time his speed had increased so much that Piedmon barley had time to reach for his own sword.

In a shattering clang the two blades hit. Matt's grip upon his sword tightened as he pulled back and then came around again for another attack. Piedmon quickly brought his sword up to block the attack, Matt's strength pushing him back slightly as he strained to keep hold of his own weapon.

This time it was Piedmon that came in for an attack. He brought his sword around and thrust it into Matt's left arm. Matt backed away from the shocked clown and looked at his new wound. He gently took his right hand and touched the damaged flesh. Blood had already begun to flow down his left arm, and sink through his clothes.

A small smile tugged at Matt's lips as he lifted his hand and started at the blood on his finger tips, his blood. He then looked at Piedmon his eyes were cold, but they still held that unearthly wisdom that had startled his opponent in the first place.

As Piedmon was hypnotized by the teens overwhelming gaze, Matt used the opportunity to attack. He brought his sword up and sliced Piedmon's painted check. Immediately blood began to drip from the torn flesh.

This action brought rage back into the evil clown. He took his sword and swung with amazing strength at Matt. Matt quickly brought his sword up to block, and the battle began once again. The sound of steel upon steel could be heard, echoing out unto the land below. Piedmon and Matt battled hard, each with incredible speed and strength. Neither was able to brake the other's defenses and the sprawl seemed like it would last forever.

Matt was enjoying the battle. The thrill of combat stirred all of his senses and made him feel powerful, unstoppable. Fatigue left him, fear vanished, he was a warrior. As he continued to fight, drawing out the battle and basking in the glory of the fight something in his mind kept calling him back. 'Ladydevimon' the name of his savior brought him to his senses. Ladydevimon would bleed to death if he didn't defeat Piedmon.

With new focused Matt charged at Piedmon one last time, thrusting his sword with full force at the clown's exposed chest. Piedmon's shriek shattered the unusual silence of the fight, and signaled the end of the battle.

Matt yanked his sword out of the clown's chest causing Piedmon to fall to his knees in pain. Once Matt had backed away the defeated clown looked up at the victor.

"Congratulations Yamato you defeated me." The clown laughed as light began to shine from his weakened body, illuminating the entire mountainside in a bright flash.

Once the light had lifted Matt found that his crest no longer shone on his chest and Piedmon no longer kneeled on the ground defeated. He looked around for the clown in confusion. Finally his eyes fell upon Piedmon. He was floating in the air with a small smirk on his face and no signs of injury on his body.

"Oh great." Matt said sarcastically as he was certain that the clown was going to attack once more.

Piedmon floated back down to the weakened blond and smiled. His eyes held no evil intention only respect for the human who defeated him. "Relax Yamato the fight is over and you won. I had to be certain I chose correctly and now there is no doubt in my mind." Piedmon no longer sounded like an insane carnival clown, but instead his voice seemed wise and passionate.

Matt stared at the clown, confusion written all over his face. 'Either I'm going insane or he finally went completely over the deep end.'

Piedmon smiled understandingly. "Let me explain, and please do not interrupt until I am done." He spoke kindly to the boy.

"Okay" Matt said simply as he finally lowered his sword, and stood at ease.

"You Yamato have been selected out of the many candidates to be the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." He explained, but his statement only seemed to cause more confusion for the blond. "I'm afraid I can't give you much more information then this. You are unique Yamato, and I am not the only one who has noticed this, the Supreme Being of the Digital World known as the Digi-Core has also seen your power and felt your soul. He was the being which created me and all of my kind. He selected me to be the leader of the south the land that you are in now, and now he wishes to test you to see if you are worthy of taking my place." 

Matt didn't know what confusion was until this moment, because now he truly was lost. "How could I take your place, I'm not evil." He asked one of the many questions going through his mind.

"Well like I said I can't really tell you much more. However you should know that you can not run away from this, the strange feelings you've been having, the knowledge of things you have never seen, all of this is a part of who you are." Piedmon tried to convince Matt of the truth, he knew there wasn't much time and that the boy was in danger, but he wasn't certain of how to get the teen to believe him. "Yamato tell me, who are the Nightmare Soldiers and what is their purpose?"

Matt rolled his eyes at the question, but he still spoke the first answer that came to mind. "The Nightmare Soldier are a race of warriors created by the Digi-Core, to live as noble creatures in service of the Digi-Core and the command of their Lord." As he said this he realized that the history of the Digi World and more importantly the history of the Nightmare Soldiers was in his mind as though he had studied it his whole life.

Matt looked back at the clown. "How did I know that?" he demanded.

"I don't have all the answers, and my time is running out. So I leave you with these last tips. Do not be afraid of the knowledge you posses, and do not be afraid when the Digi-Core summons you back for your final test. He will call you, how I do not know, but he will contact you and give you the next step on you journey. If you pass the next test then you will receive answers to all your questions. The last thing is do not speak a word of this to anyone not even to your Digidestined friends. The only one you may tell is your own digimon partner. There are many enemies of the Nightmare Soldiers, some good and some evil so you can't trust anyone." Piedmon's body began to fade as he spoke these words.

"Wait you said you would heal Ladydevimon if I beat you!" Matt shouted to the retreating digimon.

"You must heal her yourself, now that you are aware of your power use it. Good luck in the future Yamato." With those last words the clown digimon vanished from the mountain.

Matt stared in awe as his brain tried to process everything that had just happened. When his mind could handle no more riddles haunting them he turned his attention to the demon digimon lying on the stone ground near by.

He ran to her and kneeled at her side. The dark digimon seemed to have lost conciseness, and was fading fast. 'How am I suppose to help her.' Matt thought desperately to himself. Panic returned to him as he looked back to the dying digimon, he was just about to give up when Piedmon's word returned to him. 'Now that you are aware of you power use it.' he thought to himself, taking a deep breath he cleared his mind and allowed instinct to take over.

Giving in to what his mind ordered him to do he laid his hand one on top of the other upon Ladydevimon's wound. Closing his eyes he focused on the power within him allowing it to take control and seep out of him into the fading life of Ladydevimon. Suddenly the Crest of Friendship appeared upon his hands once more, the winged circle shone lightly, the blue light passed form Matt's hands to Ladydevimon's side.

Once Matt felt his power completely leave him he opened his eyes. To his delight a pare of scarlet eyes greeted him back to the world of sight. Matt lifted his hand from Ladydevimon side and put his right one on the hilt of his sword. In a flash of light the sword vanished and Yamato was completely drained.

Ladydevimon sat up and stared in awe at the exhausted blond before her. "I heard the conversation you and Piedmon had." She said simply as she continued to stare at Matt.

Matt stood up slowly, his legs shook underneath him, pain and exhaustion overtook his entire body. "I have to get home." He said quietly as he turned away from the now standing demon.

"What? You mean after what just happened you're just going to go home and act like it's a normal day." Ladydevimon looked at Matt closely. His eye seemed distant and his skin had grown pail, the loss of energy from the battle and healing the fallen angel had left him weak and unresponsive.

"Piedmon said I would know what to do and I know that I am suppose to go home until the next test. Don't worry I'll be back and I'll come and find you when I arrive." He said simply as he began to walk away again.

Ladydevimon watched the blond closely; it was like he was under some kind of a trance. He seemed like a zombie simply following his own instincts. "Matt how do you plain to get home without your TV thing?" Ladydevimon asked, she had decided to ignore his unfocused behavior. If he truly was her new Lord then whatever he wished had to be done, and now the only thing he wished was to go home.

Matt looked back at her, this time his eyes held a small spark of life as he pointed in front of him. To Ladydevimon's surprise she found a small box like machine with strange poles on top. "I'm tiered Ladydevimon, and I want to go home. My brother and friends are there, and that is where I need to wait for the next test. When I come back I'll explain." With that said Matt approached the small TV and held his Digivice to the screen. With a quiet "Digi-Port open", a bright light shone out from the screen, pulling the injured blond into the gate.

When the light vanished Ladydevimon was left standing alone and confused on the mountain where one of the greatest battles of all time took place. Years into the future Digimon of all types would journey to see the place where Piedmon leader of the Dark Masters and Yamato Ishida Digidestined of Friendship's noble battle took place.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well what do you think? I hope the fight scene wasn't too horrible, I'm not very good with those so please tell me what you thought of it. Also sorry if it's getting confusing, but don't worry I will explain everything in up coming chapters. Well please review and tell me what you think and let me know there are people out there still reading. Thank you and goodnight.


	4. Whispers from a Child, Makings of a King

A/N: I am so, so sorry this took so long to get out. My whole household is ill and so I've been in bed a lot. Anyway I hope this chapter was worth the wait, you should know that nothing really happens in this chapter, but it does introduce another obstacle for Matt to face.

Disclaimer: I have yet to conquer the world, however I am working on the conga line thing so once I'm done with that I'll take over the world and buy out Digimon from all of the people who own it. And then I will bring back season one and all it's lovely characters and life will be wonderful again, but until all of this happens I do not own Digimon.

Matt was in agony; there was no other way to describe it. His whole body was sore, bruised, and scraped. His left arm throbbed with pain from where Piedmon's sword had been driven into it. His clothes were stained in blood and dirt. He hadn't slept or ate in over twenty-four hours and all he wanted to do was fall into bed and drift into the comforting darkness of the land of nod. Unfortunately he knew that sleep was a luxury that would have to wait.

'I'm pretty sure that dad would be a little concerned if he came home and found me sound asleep with blood caked to my body. That would just cause too many questions that I'm not prepared to answer.' he thought to himself as he walked out of his room and headed towards the bathroom. 

Fighting the indomitable exhaustion that was beginning to overwhelm him, he staggered to the shower and turned the faucet knob, making the water as hot as possible. After the shower was running at full blast he began to rip of his clothes differently. Throwing the torn and stained garments to the floor he got in the shower and allowed the steam and warm liquid to ease the pain that racked his entire body.

Dried blood softened from the moisture and began to run down his skin mixing with dirt and sweat. His left arm hung loosely at his side as the pain from his horrendous cut increased. His right hand was placed firmly on the shower wall giving his shaking body support. 

His mind began to drift as he felt he was going to loose conciseness once more. With a shake of his head he forced back the darkness that was so welcoming in his pain stricken state. Driving away the waver of weakness, Matt turned his attention to bathing. 

"The quicker I get clean, the quicker I get to bed." He reminded himself as he grabbed the soap bar and rag and began to gently wash away all the remaining residue from his battle with the mega clown.

Once he was done bathing, a task that took longer then usual because he nearly passed out twice, he took a towel that was hanging on the bathroom rake and wrapped it securely around his waste. Now that he was clean a more difficult challenge arrived deciding how to treat all of his injuries. Since he was no longer hidden beneath a layer of dried blood and dirt, he could see the full extent of the damage his body had undergone during the battle. Most of the injuries weren't too bad in a sense of being life threatening; however they were quite noticeable and they did cause him a considerable amount of pain.

'There's nothing I can do about the bruises and gashes, those will heal in time.' A look of distaste passed over his face as he studied the multi-colored blemishes on his once flawless pail skin.

After going through the medicine cabinet he pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a large box of unopened Band-Aids. It took him a few minutes to disinfect the sores on his body but once he was finished he placed Band-Aids on all the unclosed wounds. Now that he was done with the smaller injuries he turned to the one that was causing him the most pain.

The place where Piedmon had run him through with his sword was aching and already showing sings of infection. He was certain that this cut could become life threatening if he didn't figure out a way to stop the bleeding.

'I could always call Joe, I'm sure he knows how to stitch up a cut, but then I would have to explain how I got such a large lesion and I can't let the others know what's going on.' Matt thought to himself as his mind tried to come up with a solution for his damaged arm. 

Finally he decided to handle the injury on his own. Taking a rag he held it to the horrible cut and applied as much pressure as pain would allow. He then left the bathroom and went in search of a needle and thread. 

A few minutes later he was back in the bathroom with a sterilized needle preparing to stitch up the still bleeding wound. "Okay, maybe this isn't such a good idea." Were the only words he could think of as he examined his torn flesh. A debate began as the uncertainty of how he was tending to his injuries crossed over his mind. 

'Maybe I should call Joe, I could always make up some excuse for the cut, but then he'd be suspicious. He'd also see my other injuries and that would defiantly bring up some questions. Not to mention he'd probably tell the other, and I don't want them to worry. TK would have a fit if he saw these gashes, and Tai probably wouldn't take it much better.' After going over the facts and probabilities Matt finally decided to complete the job he had already begun.

With a shaky hand he rose the small sowing needle with dark blue thread to his arm. "It's just like stitching a quilt." He told himself as he tired to remember exactly how his grandmother use to sow together the colorful pieces of fabric. "Of course this time the fabric is my own skin, and if I don't do this correctly the cut could get infected and then they would have to amputate my arm." His uncertainty and fear were laced heavily in his sarcasm.

With a deep breath he steadied his hand and began to stitch up the cut. At first he was in extreme pain, he didn't have anything to numb his arm with so the stitches weren't helping in that sense, but after the first couple of stitches he grew calmer and the pain was a little more bearable. Eleven tight stitches later and he was done. 

He sighed heavily in relief, glad to be done with his injuries. After throwing the needle he had use only moments ago in the trash can, he forced himself to look at the small white space which was his bathroom. Immediately he regretted this for all he could see was torn and filthy clothes, red stained rags, and blood splattered upon the once white tile floor. 

He use to hate this room, white ceiling upon white walls upon a cold white tile floor. It reminded him of a hospital. He kept begging his dad to let him paint the walls, but his dad always told him there was nothing wrong with the coloring in the bathroom. But now he finally got his wish, in place of the once spotless white floor there laid drops of crimson splattered upon the tile like red paint.

Matt felt like he was going to throw up. He hated blood; he hated the smell, the sight, and even the name. He didn't hate it in a sense that he would freak out and then pass out like Joe had done on their first adventure to the Digi-World; he hated because it was so significant. The red liquid kept you alive, and yet it was so easy to loose, it could be so easily spilt by the merciless hands of this world.

'It's funny I never even thought about this kind of stuff until the Digi-World. Before the Digital World I was like everybody else. Just a kid struggling to survive the hazards of middle school, my only worriers were getting the newest nintendo game before everyone else had it and making up excuses for not getting my homework done on time. I never really thought about death or life or destiny, until that fateful day when I was swept away from all I knew and thrown into a world of chaos and distraction. And now destiny has called upon me again, only this time I'm not sure if I can handle what it wants me to do.' Matt was brought out of his meditative state by the sound of the front door opening.

Quickly he jumped up from where he sat, ignoring his body's protest for more rest, and slammed the bathroom door shut. He then locked the door and listen for approaching footsteps. Straining his ears he heard a deep voice grumbling about how much he hated traffic. Matt sighed in relief as he recognized his dad's gruff voice. 'At least it's not TK.' He thought to himself, grateful that it was not his over protective younger brother. 'Dad's easier to get rid of then TK.' The sound of the door slamming and footsteps approaching caused Matt to grew uneasy. He was hoping that his dad wouldn't need in their only bathroom, considering he had yet to clean up the mess he had made. The footsteps grew louder signifying that he dad was outside the bathroom door.

'Please don't stop, please believe I'm not here.' Matt silently pleaded for his father to ignore his presence and go on with his day.

"Matt what are doing in the bathroom?" the sound of Mr. Ishida's stressed voice shattered Matt's hope of not being noticed.

'I have to get rid of him.' Matt thought desperately for something to say, but his mind was completely blank. "What do you usually do in the bathroom dad." Matt yelled back sarcastically.

"All right, well I just came back to get some files I needed." After Mr. Ishida stated this he left the hall and went into his bedroom. Matt waited pateinltly for him to leave; he didn't want to take any risk of being discovered in such a battered state. After a few minutes the sound of footsteps in the hall returned along with the sound of Mr. Ishida's voice. "I got the files I needed and I'm heading out. I'm not sure how late I have to work tonight, so I'll leave some money on the table so you can order takeout."

"Okay bye dad." Matt tried to sound energetic and cheerful, but his words came out a little weak. Luckily his dad had already begun to head out the door, and didn't notice his shaky reply.

Once Matt heard the front door shut and lock, he slowly stood up and eyed the bathroom. He really wasn't in any condition to be cleaning, but he knew he could leave the floor looking like a butcher's shop. With a heavy sigh he took another towel off the rake and began to wipe up the blood and water. The red spots turned pink as they mixed with spilt water and were then soaked up by the once white cloth. 

Soon the floor returned to its dismal white state. All the blood had been removed and the only mess left was a pile of bloody wet cloths consisting of rag and Matt's torn clothes. 'What I am going to do about those? I'm not in the mood to hand wash them, and the washing machine won't get all of the blood out.' Thoughtlessly Matt picked up the pile of cloths and rolled them into a tight bundle. Then he opened his bathroom door and walked shakily into his room and straight to his bed. There he deposited the bundle of garments and rags under his bed, and gave them no more thought.

Now that all obstacles between him and rest had been eliminated he walked to his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers. After replacing the towel with his shorts he went to his door shut and locked it then he headed to his bed. 'Finally.' Was the only thought his tired mind could comprehend before he fell into bed and pulled his blue comforter over his bruised body. 

It only took a minute for Matt to drift, leaving the world of hate and tragedy behind for a world of rest darkness. So for the first time in over a year Matt slept in peace.

Rays of golden light shone through partially opened black curtains. The sun's light filled the room chasing shadows away and brining the peace and comfort that come with a new day. In the room lying on the bed amongst disordered blankets was Yamato Ishida. His chest rose and fell in gentle, even breaths. Lost in slumber, all worries and fear had been lift from his young form, his soul was at rest and this showed on his teen-aged face. The stress that had been building up on this young man had vanished as he left this world of care and entered dreamless sleep. It is sad that he could not linger in this state of peace longer, but the light of day beckoned this troubled boy back to the land of the living, back to the land of beauty and suffering. And so in answer to the call of day Matt awoke, and returned to the world he had dwelt in for so long.

Matt blinked slowly allowing his eyes to adjust to the light of morning. A yawn escaped his lips followed by a deep groan as he shakily pushed his body into a sitting position. Looking over his room with unfocused eyes sent a light dizzy spell over his dazed mind. He shut his eyes as the pain of his aching body and his pounding head began to register. Soon he open his eyes once more to find that the dizzy spell had passed and the pain in his body was less then it was the day before. 

Slowly he pushed the pile of tangled blankets and sheets off his sweaty and bruised body, and swung his legs over the side of the bed placing them on the cold floor. For a moment he just sat and allowed the cool of his bedroom floor to sink into his toes and send a small chill of refreshment up his entire body. The feeling of the suns light upon his bare skin comforted him and confirmed that this was indeed a new day, free of the mistakes of the days before it.

"Another day, which mean I survived the night." Slowly he stood up, grabbing the wooden bedpost for support against the dizziness that had returned. 'I guess since I made it through the night that I'll be okay, but I still need to keep an eye on the bad cuts.' He mental winced as he reminded himself of his injuries. The night had driven the ghastly wounds out of his mind, but now he had returned to reality and with that came the reality of his condition. 

Growing steady once more Matt decided to go to the bathroom and look at the extent of his injuries now that they had had a night to improve. Once in front of the mirror he saw that not much improvement had occurred over night. The bruises had only darkened in color, and the cuts had already begun to show their permanent effect in the form of scars. His upper left arm showed the dark blue thread which was his stitches and the outline of his largest wound. 'That will defiantly leave a scar. I'll to think of an excuse for it later.'

Luckily for Matt most of his injuries were below his neck and so they were consealable. An attire of long sleeves, pants, and gloves will be needed to hide his torn and bruised body, but it was cool outside so such clothing would be expected. The only problem was that he did have two injuries that he was unable to conceal a small bruise on his right check and a split lip. The split lip was to insignificant for anyone to really take notice, but the bruise on his check was an ugly shade of blue and looked completely out of place of Matt's fair skin.

'I'm not going to see anybody today, so no one will see the bruise. And I can just make something up for when I go back to school.' He thought as he left the bathroom and returned to his own room to search for something to wear. After searching through both his closet and dresser he found a long sleeve maroon shirt, cargo khakis and a pair of black biker gloves that were suitable for covering up the marks on his hands. The outfit wasn't stylish, but the clothes were loose and the fabric soft, which were two things he took in consideration when he began his search.

Soon he was completely clad in his concealing and comfortable garments, with combed and styled hair to top it off. He wasn't planning on going anywhere, but that didn't matter, if his hair wasn't perfect then he was certain hell would freeze over. He never went anywhere; he never even hung around the house without his hair looking exactly how he wants it. So with the golden locks in place he headed into the kitchen as his hunger showed its presence once more. 

The many months of not eating properly had really begun to take its toll on him. His skin had grown thin and pail over the last couple months due to malnutrition. The other Digidestined had noticed, and expressed their concern for his health many times, but none of them had the courage to address him directly on the issue except his brother. TK constantly asked Matt if he was eating enough, and when Matt would ignore the subject TK would think of way to get Matt to eat, like inviting him over for diner or taking him to a restaurant. These little stunts showed the younger boy's love better then any words could.

Matt smiled to himself; the thoughts of his younger brother always gave him a sense of joy. 'TK's been so worried about me, I should have never gotten in a state which would cause him to worry.' Opening the large white refrigerator door he looked into the cool food closet, scanning over the options of food on the plastic shelves his eyes finally rested on eggs and bacon. 

After pulling out the uncooked food and the utensils necessary to prepare his meal a thought crossed his mind. 'Should I be eating something so heavy after going so long without food?' he had heard that you were not suppose to brake a fast with a heavy meal because it could upset your metabolism or even become deadly. 'Oh well, I'll take my chances.' With that decision made he began to prepare his meal.

Two hours later Matt was stretched out on his couch still regretting his decision as the stomachache he had gained after eating his fried breakfast began to subside. 'Okay I will never do that again. I am so glad I don't have to go anywhere today, I don't think I could handle any social contact.' Just as he thought this, a low ring broke the heavy silence in the Ishida's apartment. With a loud groan and a couple of silent curses Matt slid off the couch and staggered towards the small table where the ringing phone laid.

Normally he would just let the answering machine take the call for him, and if it was anyone he had an interest in talking to then he would answer or call them back, but three days ago his dad grew angry with the small recording device while trying to eras the fifty something messages that had been taken that day, and threw it against the wall shattering the defenseless machine into many broken fragments. So now Matt had to take all incoming calls so he would not miss an important message for either his father or himself.

"Hello Ishida residence." Matt spoke after he had lifted the cordless receiver to his face.

"Hey Matt, I'm glad I caught you." Came the cheerful reply on the other end.

A smile tugged at Matt's lips as he recognized the sound of his brother's voice. "Hey TK what's up?" he answered back casually as he walked back to the couch he was resting on moments ago.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to make sure you were still coming today." The younger boy answered hopefully.

Matt cursed to himself. 'What was today?' he tried to remember what he had agreed to, but his mind could not produce an answer. "Um, where did I say I would be going?" he asked sheepishly once he realized he had no idea of what he had promised his younger brother.

"Matt, you said you would come to the debriefing, you misted the last three in-a-role." TK complained slightly agitated and slightly worried by his brother's behavior. 'Matt never forgets about his promises, what could have happened that could drive this so far from his mind?' 

Matt was now mentally kicking himself for forgetting about his promise to TK. Once a month all the Digidestined get together and discuss what was transpiring in the Digital World. No one ever missed it, it was the one time that they could all be together just like the good old days when destruction was threatening both worlds. Mimi would even fly in from America just to spend this one weekend a month with her friends.

Matt had lost interest in the little meetings, since they never went over anything of significance. It was really just a time for them to all be together, and since he had been avoiding socializing with anyone he eventually quit going to the debriefings.

"So are you still going to come, or have you already made plains?" TK sounded atrabilious at the prospect of his brother not attending the get together.

'What should I do? If anyone touches me or notices my injuries then I'm toast, but I did promise TK. It's bad enough I didn't remember my promise, am I really going to not keep it too.' Matt decided he would go, even if the meeting wasn't very enlightening he would at least get to spend time with his brother and friends. "Of course I'll go TK, I told you I would and I will. So what time does this little party start?" he asked trying to cover his uncertainty with a joking tune.

"Great! And it starts at noon." The younger boy shouted with enthusiasm.

"Well, I'll see you at noon then." Matt laughed, as he was unable to contain his amusement from his brother's enthusiasm.

"Actually, I was thinking maybe I'd come by there and pick you up, then we could walk together." the young blond words were laced with hidden agendas.

Matt's smile immediately turned into a frown of distress. He knew his brother was suspicious of something and in his both physically and mentally weaken state Matt was certain he wouldn't be able to keep his secret under his brothers concern and pressure. 'If I'm alone with TK then he will defiantly notice that something is wrong, but if I don't go he'll be suspicious.'

"Okay TK, I'll be waiting for you." Matt decided to give in to his brother, he could never turn down one of the younger boy's request.

"Awesome, I'll be there in ten minutes, and we can stop for coffee on the way to Izzy's place." With that the ecstatic boy hung up leaving his older brother shocked and out whited.

'Great Matt, you had better be careful, you can't let anyone know what's happening. Fate chose you for this life of trial and you can't bring the pain and struggle that comes with this life to the others. I have to spare them from all darkness, if I can.' With these last thoughts Matt went to get ready for his encounter with his friends.

Exactly ten minutes after the two brothers had had their phone conversation; TK arrived at Matt's front door.

'Okay this time you're going to find out exactly what's wrong.' TK lectured himself from outside the apartment that was home to both his brother and his father. 'Matt has always been there for me when I had a problem, it didn't matter what it was or how hard I tried to hide it, he always knew when something was bothering me. He could always tell when anyone was hurting. It was like he had grown so good at wearing a mask that he could see through other people and know if they're in pain or not. I'd like to think that I'm like that, but I know I'm not. I see someone being friendly or wearing a smile and I automatically assume that everything's all right. I guess I haven't suffered enough to recognize when other people have, and the only reason for that is that Matt would never let me suffer.' With thoughts of his brother's love to flue his motivation TK prepared to face the distant blond.

He raised his fist to knock on the door and summon his brother out of the lonesome apartment, but just before his knuckles connected with the obstacle between him and his brother, the door opened sending a chill from inside the apartment to welcomed the waiting boy.

"Hey TK I was wondering how long you planed to stand out here." Matt greeted amusingly.

The younger blond was baffled on how Matt knew he had been outside. "How'd you know?" he asked showing his bewilderment.

"Brotherly intuition." The older boy answered as he shut his front door and locked it. 

TK liked the answer despite its lack of logic. "Well let's go then!" yelled the now very excited boy.

The noise of honking horns and people's raised voices, caused the pounding in Matt's head to increase. A traffic jam had built up blocking all roads with piles of unmoving cars. Children ran about playing in the lots between buildings, while grown ups rushed through the streets in attempt to complete their tasks for the day.

"So why did you come over so early?" Matt shouted over the noise of the ever-moving city.

"I told you I thought we could stop off for some coffee on the way." TK replied just as loudly.

Matt stopped and looked at his brother skeptically. "You don't drink coffee, because you believe it will stunt your growth and that it taste horrible." 

The younger boy seemed at a loss, he was sure of how to reply. "Well I like coffee now, and we enough time." He answered and then with a nervous glance he noticed a small shop with the words coffee painted on the front window. "Well I'm going to get some coffee from in here, you can stay outside if you don't want any." With that TK mad a dash for the shop.

Matt watched his brother take off and then disappear into 'The Daly Grind'. He was partly amused and partly taken back by his brother's eagerness to interrogate him. With a defeated sigh he followed after his brother and entered the small café.

As usual the shop was completely vacant of customers, and as usual the teen-aged sales girl was leaning on the front counter idly flipping through a magazine. Matt smiled; he had always like this places because it was quiet, and out of the public eye. 

TK approached the front counter and looked at the selection of beverages. Matt tried to contain his laughter as he watched his little brother stare at the alien drinks.

"Um, I think I'll let you order first." TK broke the silence as he realized that he had not idea of what he wanted to order.

The older boy laughed brining the attention of the girl behind the counter out of her magazine and to her customers. "Just get me a double espresso." He placed his order as his laughter died down.

"One of those days." the girl answer dully as she went to prepare his order.

'More like one of those decades.' Matt thought to himself.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you laugh in months." TK spoke in amazement.

Matt thought about his brother's words. It was the first time he had laughed in months. For some reason he felt calm and more relaxed. He was still on his guard, but he felt more open, and the joy of being with his brother did lift some of his burden.

"Well if you had seen your face when you were trying to read the menu then you would have laughed too." The older boy joked good naturally.

TK was about to defend himself, but the girl had returned to the counter with Matt's drink. 

"Thanks, and the kid will have a small white mocha frap." Matt took his drink after he placed TK's order.

"I could have ordered myself you know." The younger boy complained as he watched his older brother take a sip of his espresso.

"Oh, sorry. What were you going to order?" Matt replied with a mocking smile.

TK thought for a moment before answering. "I thought I'd get the same thing as you." 

"TK this is like drinking a pot of coffee in one cup, you would have had a heart attack from it." Matt lectured as the girl returned with TK's drink.

"That will be six dollars and forty-five scenes." The girl addressed Matt after she was done ringing up the drinks.

"What, we could get a whole meal a piece for that price!" TK exclaimed as he looked at the green neon numbers displaying the price of their drinks on the cash register.

"It's okay TK this one's on me. Go get a seat while I pay." Matt replied trying to calm down his little brother. 'I should have got him decaf.'

TK took a seat by the window and waited for his brother. He still hadn't tasted his drink, which he was certain he wouldn't like.

Soon Matt joined his brother and the two sat in silence while he sipped absentmindedly on his espresso. 

'Matt seems happier, but he also seems more reserved. I know he's keeping something from me, I just wish I could figure out what.' TK watched his brother closely, his eyes searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. "Hey Matt why are you dressed so casually?" he asked once he realized that his brother was not clad in a more stylish attire.

'He knows me too well.' Matt thought as he faced his brother. "I didn't think I was going anywhere today, and I think I'm going to start dressing a little more like a high school student and less like a rock star."

"But why, everyone is always complementing you on your good fashion sense." The younger boy really wanted to know everything that was going on in his older brother's life, especially since Matt seemed to be changing.

"There are more important things in life then clothes, and I don't really care what people think. If they only like me because of how I look then they are not really my friends, nor are their opinions worth caring about." Matt answered seriously. He had grown tired of being nothing put a high school icon, now he was ready to be known as a person.

TK stared at his brother in disbelief. 'I guess I don't know him at all, I mean popularity always came easy for him, but I never knew that it wasn't the life he wanted.' 

Matt noticed TK's look of quandary and decided to ease some of the doubts he was certain were flashing through the younger boy's mind. "TK, people change. It's just a natural part of life. Just because I'm changing doesn't mean that we aren't close anymore. You're still my little brother, and I'm still your big brother, nothing will ever change that, and nothing will brake the bond the two of us have." He spoke what he felt. If destiny meant giving up his brother then he would remain at war with fate forever, because nothing would drive him away from the hope of his life.

TK smiled and for a while he felt like he was eight again. Under the protection and the wisdom of his older brother he felt safe and at peace. He knew his brother would never abandon him or grow too wise to be with him.

"Aren't you going to drink your coffee?" Matt's soft voice broke through TK's thoughts.

The younger boy made a fast of disgust as he looked at the forgotten frozen beverage before him. "Honestly I'm not really a coffee fan." He explained once he saw that he had no other excuse for not drinking the, in his opinion extremely pricy drink.

Matt smiled understandingly. "Well you don't have to drink it if you don't want to, but you might as well try it while you're here." He answered and then drank the last of his espresso.

"Okay, I guess I could try it since it cost so much." Still with the look of distaste plastered on his young features TK slowly took a sip of the cold coffee. Once the icy liquid had gone up the straw and entered his mouth, his look of disgusted changed to a look of surprise and satisfaction. "This is really good!" he expressed his liking of the beverage as he continued to drink it.

"I knew you would like it." Matt answered as he watched his brother continue to inhale the icy coffee.

"No Davis absolutely not!" a stern and irritated voice shouted at the stubborn boy before him.

"Why not? It's and awesome idea." Davis pouted, as it was obvious that he was loosing the argument.

"Davis there is no way" the first voice continued, but was cut off before he could finish.

"Hey guys, what'd we miss?" TK asked as he entered Izzy's room followed by a silent Matt.

"TK you're just in time, we were about to get to the important stuff." Kari greeted as TK went and sat down next to the ruby-eyed girl.

After everyone had said there hellos to both brothers, Matt joined Tai on the floor by Izzy's bed.

"Wait to go TK, you finally dragged the recluse out of his house." Tai joked once the blond had situated himself on the floor.

Matt's only response to Tai's joke was a small glare which quickly faded into a smile.

Before anyone could say anything else concerning Matt's absentees or silence, Davis began with his argument again. "I still don't see why you guys don't like my idea." He complained, brining up the topic which was being discussed before the arrival of the two blondes.

Izzy broke in again, continuing the argument he had placed against Davis' idea. "Davis, we are not going to build an amusement park in the Digi-World just so you can have some entertainment on the weekends." 

Matt smile at the sight of his successors defeated face. 'Okay this little meeting thing was worth coming to, if nothing more then to hear this argument.' 

"Now that we're done with the little matters we can move on to the real issue at hand." Izzy spoke drawing everyone's attention to him. "All right now, yesterday I received an e-mail from Gennia which stated that he would like to speak to all of use today. So is there anyone who will not be able to spend the whole day in the Digital World?" Izzy addressed the group as he prepared the Digi-Port for travel.

Immediately everyone's eyes turned to Matt, who was slightly irritated with the sudden attention. "I'm free all day." he stated simply.

"All right then let's go find out what Gennia wants." Shouted Davis brining everyone out of the calmness of the Sunday afternoon.

With that the group grabbed their digi-vices and held them up to the computer screen. With a loud Digi-Port open a bright light filled the room and pulled the group of Digidestined into the world they swore to protect.

A comfortable silence had settled across the land. Beams of radiant sunlight streamed down, touching the grass with a soft kiss of life, causing the green blades to stretch as high as possible in order to feel more of the heavenly light. As always a gently breeze danced across the open field, catching fallen leaves in it's playful grips and tossing them to and fro in a beautiful display of color.

Resting peaceful on the fresh and oddly trimmed grass were twelve small figures surrounding a tall and thin man clad in a white robe. The thirteen beings simply sat and enjoyed the tranquillity of the Sunday afternoon.

In a burst of light twelve figures flew out of the small TV sitting innocently by the thirteen figures. Soon the silence that had settled upon the area was shattered by a collection of moans and shouts.

Matt was the to detach himself from the tangled group of kids. Unlike the others he had landed on his feet, which had prevented him from getting locked in the pile of twisted limbs and crumbled bodies. Soon after a couple of 'That's my foot!' and 'Get off of me's' the Digidestined had completely freed themselves from one another and were now stand and situating their clothes.

Immediately the digimon ran to their respective partners. Soon eleven humans and digimon companions were hugging and chatting loudly, their gleeful voices traveled lightly upon the open field were they met.

Matt and Gabumon watched the other partners greet one another before they approached each other. With a kind smile Matt slowly bent down and embraced his friend and mentor in a tight hug. Gabumon gratefully returned the embrace. An awareness of where and how tightly he could touch his partner had entered Gabumon's mind the moment he saw Matt. He saw how Matt stood away from the others and avoided physical contact; he saw how pain flashed through his partners crystal eyes with certain movements. He also felt the pain, the confusion, and the need inside Matt.

Need, peace, pain, all these things dominated Matt's soul. They clouded his mind with the desire to be normal, but they also settle his heart and gave him confidence in his choice to continue his quest to find his place in both worlds.

"I've missed you Matt." Gabumon's words were soft and full of love for his absent friend.

Matt smiled as he pulled away from the reptile digimon. "I'm sorry I haven't been around Gabumon, but I can guarantee you that things are going to change." 

"I know my friend, and know matter what happens I will always be there to help you through these changes." Gabumon promised as his bright crimson eyes met intense cerulean ones.

'Does Gabumon know, he must know something.' Matt thought to himself as he stood with an appreciative smile upon his lips and in his eyes. 'He knows something, and he doesn't care, he's a good friend.'

"Hey you two can catch up later, we're here for information!" 

The sound of Sora's voice drew Matt and Gabumon's attention to the rest of the group. They had already said their hellos and were now sitting in a circle prepared to listen to Gennia's words. Matt held back a laugh as he and Gabumon joined the group of anxious Digidestined and Digimon. 

"Well it's about time, now we can finally get on with the debriefing." Davis declared in anticipation. He unlike most of the others had grown bored with the lack of _action _in the two worlds, and he hoped that this meeting would give information for a new adventure.

After Matt and Gabumon had seated themselves between TK and Tai, Gennia cleared his throat calling for attention from the entire group. "I am glad to see all of you Digidestined together. I only wish that this meeting could be under more pleasant circumstances." Gennia spoke wearily causing the group of guardians even more anxiety.

"I knew it there's another whacked out monster trying to take over the Digi-World and you need us to take care of it! Awesome!" Davis jumped into the air with excitement. 

Yolie, who was sitting next to Davis, quickly stood up, grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back down to the ground. "Cool it Davis, you don't know if that's what's going to happen." She showed her irritation in her tone as she lectured the over-excited boy.

"Actually, Yolie and Davis, you are both right and you are both wrong." the white robed man spoke one of his riddles cause everyone in the group to look both annoyed and confused. "You see there is an enemy rising, but whether you are meant to or whether you can defeat it is not known."

"What are you talking about Gennia, can you just give us the straight story for once." Tai voiced the thoughts of the entire group.

Pinkish tent appeared on Gennia's checks as he cleared his throat once more. "Okay well it's difficult to explain since you don't know the entire history of the Digi-World, but I will do my best. You see when the Digital World was formed it was split into four regions, North, South, East and West. These lands were inhabited by many digimon of similar nature. Like in the East, angel and holy beast digimon lived under the protection of Azulongmon, whom you've already met. In the North nature spirit and man beast type digimon roamed and were guided by Xuanwumon. In the West cyber and metal empire digimon practiced battle under the instruction of Baihuimon." Gennia paused for a moment allowing everything he had said to sink in.

The Digidesitned all looked at one another with confused glances, all except for Matt. 'I know this story, I'm not sure how, it's almost like I was there. I guess I have a lot of questions for the Digi-Core when I meet up with him.' Matt thought to himself. He tried to act like this was all new information for him, but it was difficult, and he was growing restless around Gennia, though he wasn't sure why.

"Okay we've heard this before, what does it have to do with the Digi-World being attacked?" Davis blurted out, as he grew bored from Gennia's story.

"I'm getting to the significant part." Gennia scolded as he glared at the goggle-wearing redhead. "Anyway these three lands lived in peace for centuries, but one day all of that changed. The South under the rule of Zhuqiamon produced a bread of digimon unlike any that had been seen in the outside world. They were a race of warriors created only to destroy. At first the race caused no trouble, they stayed in their land and under the rule of Zhuqiamon, until the day that Zhuqiamon gave the control of the race to another mega, Piedmon." 

"What!? You mean on of the four legendary guardians just handed over his control to a powerful race of digimon to the leader of the Dark Masters?" Cody shouted in disbelief. He had never faced the clown digimon, but the stories he had heard were enough to flue his hatred for the evil of this world.

"Yes, the race of warriors had to have a strong leader, and none had more power then Piedmon. He became the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, and under his leadership they became a destructive race. It was Piedmon and the Nightmare Soldiers, that brought the first darkness upon this world, and that is why we were forced to summon all of you here. No one had the strength to stand against the Nightmare Soldiers so we were forced to call upon you, the Digidesitned, to help us defeat these merciless creatures." Gennia finished his story and waited to see how the children would reply.

The group sat in silence as they took in every detail of Gennia's tale. "So why is any of this important now?" Joe asked their puzzling guide with a hint of complaint in his voice. "We already destroyed Piedmon, so why should we care about the Nightmare Soldiers?"

"It is true that Piedmon is gone, however the Nightmare Soldiers did survive the wars. Those that were left after the reconfiguration of the Digi-World returned to the South. Most of them lived quietly as they regrouped and tended to rebuilding their homes, but some were still blood thirsty, and they would not be content until they had destroyed the humans in revenge for their fallen master. The South broke into a civil war, one party wanted to go avenge their Lord while the other party wanted to rebuild their land and wait for a new Lord to arrive." 

"Oh great, you mean there's a new guy out there." Mimi's voice broke through Gennia's words.

"If you would stop interrupting I will explain." Gennia answered irritably. "You see according to prophesy once the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers falls, a new Lord will be chosen. He will have to undergo tests to see if he is capable of the position, and once he has passed the test he will be named the new Lord. Well eventually the first party of the south grew tired of waiting for a new Lord, so when Deamon came and announced himself as their true Lord they left with him, and now serve him willingly. Those who remain faithful to the law are still waiting for their true Lord to arrive. At first we thought that another Lord would never be chosen, but a strange presence has entered the Digi-World which leads me to believe that a candidate has already been chosen." 

This time it was Izzy who decided to interrupt Gennia's tale. "So now you believe the Nightmare Soldiers are divided between the group which followed Deamon and the group who follows this new Lord." 

"But how can that be, when we got ride of Deamon too?" Kari asked sadly as she looked at her Digimon partner in her lap.

"I'm afraid you did not destroy Deamon, you merely locked him away, and no prison can hold darkness forver." Gennia explained.

"A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truly vanquished." Matt soft voice broke the silence that had settle amongst the group after learning of their returned enemy.

Tai looked at Matt closely. 'He's been acting strange lately, I wonder what's bugging him.' the young leader's concern for his friend was steadily growing stronger each time the two met. "Matt you've been reading again, how many times do I have to tell you that books will corrupt your young mind." The brunette joked trying to lighten the mood a bit, and to put at least a small smile on his friend's face.

Luckily for him it worked, Matt laughed at Tai's word before replying. "Reading great books whets but never slackens the thirst for greatness." Matt quoted the words of writers past once more.

"Can I please continue now, we don't have much time and I need to give you all the information I can." Gennia stopped the small moment between the two friends. "I have been monitoring Deamon closely and I am certain that he is searching for the new Lord as well. We must find the candidate and stop him before he has the opportunity to gain the Nightmare Soldiers trust and loyalty. Once he has control over the South their will be no stopping him. After we've defeated him we may go after Deamon and pick him off easily." 

All the Digidestined like this plain except one. 'So Peidmon was right I can't trust anyone. I know why Gennia doesn't like the Nightmare Soldiers, but he still could have told the whole story behind them. How can I handle both him and Deamon?' Worry quickly grew in Matt's mind. Now both his friends and enemies will be after him, and he hasn't even become the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers yet. "Gennia, how do you know a new candidate has been chosen?" the fearful blond asked, hoping to get as much information as he could.

"Fire has returned to the mountain where Zhuqiamon rest, this only happens when he is about to arise once more to bring a candidate before the Digi-Core." Gennia answered smugly. He was proud to have been one of the first to know of the coming of the new Lord.

"How can you be so certain that this new Lord will be evil?" Matt dared to ask another question.

"Because only evil has the power to control such a vile race." Gennia replied with a hint of disgust in his voice. "Out of curiosity why do you ask?"

'Oh great how do I respond to that?' the Child of Friendship looked around as though he was willing his surroundings to produce and answer to the prying being's question. "I haven't been to any of these meetings in a while, I was just wondering if there was something you guys might know that I don't. I just want to do my part to help resolve this matter, and bring peace to the Digital World." Matt's words came out confidently despite the uncertainty in his heart. 'Am I really getting that good at lying?' 

A smile appeared on Gennia's lips as he stood up. "That is the attitude I like to hear. Together we will rid this world of the cursed Nightmare Soldiers, and the innocent will finally live in peace and safety." He exclaimed with pride. "I must leave you now, but I will contact you the second something happens. In the meantime, don't come to the Digi-World alone, it's far to dangerous." With that last warning Gennia began to fade, much like he did when he was merely a halo gram.

"So what do we do now?" Sora asked Tai, fear and distress weighing heavily in her voice.

"Well I guess now that the meetings is over we should head home, you heard what Gennia said it's dangerous with Deamon and that new Lord around." Tai answered with a gentle smile. 'I don't like that we must fight again, but if we have to then we have to. This is our destiny and no one can defend both worlds except us.' 

"All right everybody let's get ready to go!" Tai ordered the group as he and Sora headed towards the TV.

"Hey Tai did you see where Matt and Gabumon went?" TK asked the undeclared leader.

"What do you mean, he was just here." The brunette scanned over the open field in search of his friend. "It figures he would take off, we need to get a beeper for that guy." 

"I'll go look for him, he couldn't have gone far." the younger boy announced as he began to walk away from the group.

"Hold it TK." Tai ordered as he grabbed the blond by his shoulder. "I'll go look for Matt, you need to go ahead and go back to the real world, you and Davis both have basketball practice tonight remember." The older boy reminded the concerned Child of Hope.

'He's my brother I should be the one to go look for him, but Tai is right and besides he might be able to figure out what's been bothering Matt.' "All right, but you had better find him or I'll come after you." TK threatened naturally as he joined the group to journey back to his world.

"We're going to take the digimon with us, it's not save for them to be here with Deamon on the prowl. It's a good thing Azulongmon fixed the defenses of the Digi-World or one of the younger kids would have to stay with you." Izzy exclaimed just before the Digi-Port pulled him and the others into the gate of color and light.

Tai was thankful for that the digimon wouldn't be in any danger, he was also thankful for the chance to address Matt alone. The blond boy had distanced himself from his friends, and Tai was certain there was something wrong with him. Now that he could finally confront his friend without fear of interruption he was going to. Azulongmon had repaired the defenses of the Digi-World allowing anyone with a digi-vice to enter at their will.

"Tai we should go look for Matt and Gabumon before it gets dark." Agumon's small voice drew the brunette back to his task. "I can smell Gabumon in this direction so I think we should start there." The small organ dinosaur pointed into the woods at the edge of the flied.

"All right Agumon, well just follow your noise." With that decided the two headed in the direction where Matt and Gabumon had supposedly gone.

Drifting clouds soon passed over the sun, concealing it from view and blocking it's golden light from touching the digital floor. The trees of the forested were damp as well as the dirt ground. The air was steadily growing colder, but this was barely noticed by the two figures sitting quietly by the lake. The digital breeze passed over the body of standing water causing small ripples to spread through the once flat surface.

"Gabumon, can I ask you something?" the Child of Friendship's voice was a whisper. The soft tone flowed from his lips mingling with the cool air before fading into a memory.

"Matt you may ask me anything." Gabumon answered his voice equally as soft, though it lacked the musical tone that gave all of Matt's words wings.

"Do you ever feel like destiny had made a mistake, that fate expected too much from you?" the teen's words held the sorrow he felt in his heart.

Gabumon's eyes searched his blond friend closely, he knew Matt was dealing with something that no other human will have to face, but he also knew that Matt could conquer anything that destiny had chosen for him. "Matt fate makes no mistakes, your place in life may seem difficult, but it is not impossible. You have the strength to rise above the storm, and if ever you feel like you are going to fall then I will be there to catch you." The reptile digimon looked at his partner's crystal eyes, he could see the fear and uncertainty that Matt was feeling, but he could also feel the new strength and confidence that his words gave him.

"You know don't you." Just a whisper, but such soft words held so much meaning. Matt had feared telling his protector and mentor of the path he will take, but somehow that fear had vanished and was replaced by the comfort of a friend.

"We are a part of each other Matt, it was no accident that I was chosen to be your partner. Fate knew you would need someone who could understand your choose and I do understand for you see I am a Nightmare Soldier." 

Matt looked at Gabumon in shock and confusion. 'Why would Gennia allow a Nightmare Soldier to be my partner.' He knew that Weregarurumon was a Nightmare Soldier, but he still couldn't understand what it all meant.

"I'm not sure if who I am had anything to do with your fate, but I am still a Nightmare Soldier, I felt your power just as Gennia did, but unlike Gennia I knew. I knew that it was you chosen to lead the race of the South, to return them to what they once were, I may have never lived in the South, but I still have my heritage and instinct, and those have told me what to do. They have told me that I am to help you in any way I can. I will stand by your side as I always have, not simply because you are the candidate to be my new Lord, but because you are my friend." By these words Gabumon proved his loyalty, not only to his Lord, but also to his friend.

"Thank you Gabumon, your friendship means more to me than you could ever know." The two partners embraced one another silently showing their friendship.

"Hey Matt, Gabumon where are you?!" a yell echoed through the forest, the sound bouncing off trees bring back the call in a softer volume.

"Over here Tai!" Matt shouted in return giving the lost teen a signal to his whereabouts. 

Soon a tall slim figure came running from the direction of the field, following the first figure was a small orange reptile moving at a much slower pace. Soon the first figure emerged from the trees painting, and quickly following him was the reptile. 

Without a word Tai walked to where the blond sat and kneeled down beside him. "I've been looking all over for you, all the others have already left." Tai's breathing soon faded from heavy paints to slow breaths.

"Gabumon and I were just catching up. I didn't mean to make you worry, or delay your trip home, sorry." Matt answered the worried team leader as he shifted his blue eyes from Tai's face to the small ripples on the lake.

'Okay now I'm certain something is wrong.' Tai thought to himself as he sat beside the blond. "There's no reason to be sorry, we were just wondering where you went that's all." Tai answered as he placed his hand reassuringly on Matt's shoulder. Immediately Matt flinched and jerked away from Tai's touch. The brunette looked at Matt with hurt and confusion in his hazel eyes. 

Matt could tell that Tai was hurt, but he didn't know what he could do. Tai had touched his left arm, which was still aching from its lesion. "Tai, do you really think this new Lord will be our enemy? It seems like we're making him our enemy without giving him a chance to prove that he is not." 

Tai couldn't understand his friend's words, but he still replied to what he felt was bothering the blond. "Matt if you don't want to fight anymore then we'll understand." Tai was glad that Matt was talking, it was a step up from his earlier attempts to discover what was wrong with the him.

"It's not that Tai, I'm always going to be here for you guys. You and the others are my world, and I am honored every time I get to fight along side all of you, but I can't help but wonder if this fight we are preparing for could be avoided." Matt didn't look at Tai; instead he gazed upon the lake. The sun had broken free from the curtain of clouds, and now its light glisten off the waving water.

"Don't worry Matt, we don't want to go into any unnecessary battles. If there is a way to resolve this peacefully then we will defiantly try it first." Tai reassured the distressed boy.

Matt smiled at these words, he believed it when Tai said he will try peace first, and that gave him some comfort as small as it was. "Come on Tai we should head back it's getting late." After this was said Matt and Gabumon silently left the shore of the lake.

With a heavy sigh Tai rose from the ground and followed his fiend into the woods. Two humans two digimon traveling silently through the woods as they headed towards the gate that would take them home.

Once the four companions had left the world and returned to the realm of humans, shadows from the wood were the sun could not reach took their true forms. A horned demon took shape from the shadows, a twisted smile appeared upon his face as cruelty flashed in his eyes.

"Master Deamon will find this to be very interesting."

~*~*~*~

Does that count as a cliffhanger? Well if it does it's not a very good one I know. Well please review, criticism, complements and even flames are excepted. I need honest opinions on every chapter. Also I don't think I'm going to update till I get at least five reviews. I know that I have little right to request so many reviews, especially since it's been taking me so long to update, but that is still what I am aiming for. I would like to know that at least five people are reading this fic, because there is little point in continuing if there isn't at least that many. So please send feedback. Bye, bye.


	5. Of Angels, Demons, and Blood Stained Gla...

A/N: this is probably the most poorly written chapter of this story, oh well at least I'm finally updating it. I started driver's ed., which means four hours five days a week of extra classroom time. So obviously my schedule is full, but I'm still going to be working on this, no month breaks between chapters, but it might still take me a while to update so, I'll just apologize a head of time for that.

Oh I didn't proof read this chapter (didn't have the time) so I will probably go back and do that later so sorry for any bad grammar mistakes (because I know there are a lot in there).

Disclaimer: don't own it, never will. 

~*~*~

Shadows and fog spread across and endless sea of murky water. If any producer of light did exist in this desolate world it could not be seen through the impenetrable layer of black clouds which created an obscure barrier between the freedom in light and the torment in darkness. Despite the wall blocking out all heavenly bodies of light the world could still be seen as though a dim ray of unnatural light illuminated the gloomy objects occupying it. This unnatural light lifted some of the darkness casting the world into an everlasting caliginous atmosphere. Locked in an eternal penumbra the captive creatures of this world wonder aimlessly searching for some freedom from the nightmare which was their home. 

The waves of the bottomless ocean constantly raked upon the small landmasses where the few innocent beings of the world seek refuge from the merciless armies of evil digimon that lingered in this world of the own free will. In the center of these inky waves stood a structure of deteriorating bricks built in the form of tall towers and massive stone walls.

The castle was built upon a molding landmass, the island was larger then all the refuges in the world put together. The outer wall of the castle encircled most of the island leaving only a small outside area of rotting plants and countless graves. The tall towers reached high into the blacken clouds and the outer-court was laid with stones cracked by the cursed land's thorn covered roots.

Inside the castle dark halls lined with banners of deep red and gloomy grays stretched on for miles. Torches lit each hall and room, the flickering light from the small flames cast shadows and play illusions on all who walked these cold passages. Large wooden doors with iron handles led off from the halls into many windowless rooms. 

The wind passed through the cracks of the decaying castle whistling an eerie melody. The sound would echo through the halls and taunt all who heard it, it would whisper to lost souls of the freedom in the outside world, it would jeer at them constantly as it bragged of the freedom it possessed, freedom that the souls trapped within the castle, would never have.

Buried deep under the rooms, where the free inhabitants of the world lived, laid the dungeons keeping all who had betrayed or failed the darkness captive in the torment the shadows of hopelessness gave. The agonizing screams of the prisoner echo with the wind throughout the entire castle. The sounds of whips tearing flesh and rods braking bones constantly flowed through the underground chasms. The smell of decaying flesh, dried blood and pain freed sweat lingered on the ice-cold walls and rusted prison bars.

This world was truly created from nightmares and pain for that was all you could find lurking in the shadows of The World of Darkness. Depression opened the gate to this world and regret, pain, sorrow, loneliness, hopelessness, where the chains which bond you there. The only beings which existed in this world out of free will were creatures of evil, born of the darkness itself, and Deamon the ruler of nightmares, the one who brings despair was the strongest of these beings. 

In the grand courtroom of the decaying castle resided Deamon. Tall pillars of cracked stone along with a stone throne made up the largest room in the haunted castle. Like all other rooms the only light in the courtroom came from torches and iron chandeliers. The chill of death hung upon the room at all times as it did in its master's cold eyes. So many souls, both good and evil, had been tormented for pleasure then cast away like garbage at the command of Deamon. Now the demon's eyes glowed with the lust for blood, as his fist flinched and released in anger. His sharp talons stained with the blood of thousands of innocent beings scratched upon his stone throne causing a horrifying screech to echo through the hall.

"Are you certain?" the hallow, merciless voice which haunted so many nightmares, demanded of his servant who was now trembling before him.

"Yes my master, the boy claimed he was the new Lord." The kneeling digimon answered in fear. His master had already showed sings of anger, and no one wished to be near the Dark Area digimon when he was in a state of rage.

Deamon was silent, his eyes flashed with the fury running through his icy veins as he stood from his throne and looked down upon his scout. Soon he floated down to where his fearful servant knelt, his body almost looked transparent in the shadows and mist which blanketed the room, his robes of deep reds floated behind him like trailing waves of blood, and his horned had made him look like many pictures of Satan.

"Find out for certain, Devimon. Go to the real world seek out this _boy _and make sure he is the one. I am not taking any chances this time." Deamon ordered his voice was cruel but his intent was crueler.

"A you wish Master." The Devimon replied. He was thankful that his master's anger would not be taken out upon him. With a bow of respect Devimon left the courtroom and merged with the shadows. 

'No child will have the strength to defeat Master Deamon, it will be a pleasure to sink my claws into this boy's flesh.'

~*~*~

"Okay we have a choose white rice or brown rice." Matt shouted, hoping the increase in volume of his usually soft voice would perpetrate the wall separating him from the one he spoke to.

"I'm surprised you don't have more food in the house since you love cooking and all." Came the bewildered reply.

Matt shut the cabinet doors and walked to the living room where the reply had come from. With an exhausted sigh he flopped down on one of the chairs, placed by the small table where he and his father generally ate their meals. His eyes stared straightforward at the picture of his father, brother and himself placed on the stand by a lamp.

"What's wrong Matt?" the concern voice of Gabumon broke through the blonde's reverie.

"Nothing." The he answered quietly, before slowly tearing his eyes away from the photo holding two of the people he loved and shifted them to the blue and white striped digimon sitting at the other side of the small table.

Gabumon's gentle crimson eyes held all the tenderness and sympathy of an angel looking upon an innocent child lost amongst the corruption of the human realm. "You can tell me Yamato, that is what I am here for, to listen and help if I can." Gabumon coaxed.

Matt looked away from Gabumon and laughed softly, not in amusement, but in a thought that was only apparent to him.

Gabumon peered at his partner in confusion, and was about to ask the young man what he was laughing at, but he was cut off. "That was the first time you ever called me Yamato." The blond explained, his voice sounding grieved by his own discovery.

"It seemed appropriate, after all you're growing up Matt." This time the reptile used the distressed boy's nickname in an attempt to offer him comfort.

Matt looked back at his partner, his crystal eyes peered deeply into the crimson ones across from him, and they searched his partner closely looking for any hint of uncertainty. "I'm not growing, if anything I am going backwards." He answered, his voice cracking with sorrow as he thought of the events which had transpired over the past two days.

"Why do you say that?" the digital creature asked, generally he understood his friend, but Matt was going through a great change and this caused the blond to drift from reality and who he was.

Matt stood up his jerky yet fluent movement showed Gabumon that his partner was aggravated, but also strangely calm. "Why do you think they chose me to be the ruler of evil digimon?" the blond asked in a wrenched voice.

Gabumon hopped off the chair he sat upon and walked to stand near his distressed partner. "Now you are buying into Gennia's beliefs, the Nightmare Soldiers aren't evil, well not all of them anyway. Just look at me, do you think I am evil?" he questioned gently not wanting to say something that could cause the Keeper of Friendship more confusion.

Matt didn't reply at first, instead he looked out the sliding glass door which stood between him and the balcony. Outside skyscrapers as high as mountains extended into the sky, their warning lights and office lamps glowed like beckons in the polluted sky that the large city was accustom to. The skyline was oddly beautiful the lights flashed in many colors and the glass buildings reflected some moonlight which pierced the clouds of smog. Homes, business, hospitals, all of them blended into one man made accomplishment that at certain times could be considered breath taking. Generally looking out upon the city from the security of his home made him feel safe, it allowed him to observe the beauty or the wreckage of the world without having to be a part of it. 

"Maybe I am the one who's evil." The Keeper of Friendship's voice held all the unshed tears, all the rage, and all the knowledge hidden inside him.

Matt began to feel weak, not physically but mental and emotionally. Darkness was creeping over his vision and clouding his head with all the doubt inside him. All the negative emotions passing through him at that moment grew to the point that they were unbearable. With a cry a frustration Matt fell to his knees and grabbed locks of his blond hair in an attempt to fight the voices haunting his mind. Voices which told him he was evil, a traitor to his friends, that he was too weak to handle his own destiny. 

Fear and desperation had taken over Gabumon the moment he saw Matt's eyes turn from their pure cerulean to a dark blue which was quickly turning into black. "Matt, you can't do this again, don't let your fear over take you. You must fight it!" the reptile digimon ordered. 

"What if I can't fight it? What if I'm too weak?" Matt's voice was distant, but it was still steady. That meant that the darkness hadn't clogged his ability for reasoning.

"Matt listen to me, you are not evil. Fate chose you for this place for a reason. The Nightmare Soldiers need you to return them to their true selves, but you can't help them if you have doubts about yourself. I know you can do this, I have faith in you, and even if you chose not to become the new Lord it doesn't mean you are weak." Gabumon tried to persuade the braking boy.

"You mean I have a choose?" Matt loosened his grip on his golden hair and placed his shaky hands on the cold wooden floors of the apartment for support.

"You always have a choose, and no matter what, I know you will make the right one." The striped digimon spoke words that had grown familiar to him, but still held the honest sincerity as though they were being promised for the first time.

"But what if this is all a mistake?" the question came out stronger, as Matt grew calmer, the wave of negative emotions within him began to fade as the friendship between digimon and partner was expressed by comfort and trust.

"There are no mistakes in destiny Yamato, this is your calling and only you can decided to take it. What Piedmon or Gennia think doesn't matter, all that matters is that you try your best. I'll always be there for you Matt, but when the time comes you will have to make the decision to take this position of leadership or not. I can't make that choose for you, nor can anyone else." Gabumon wrapped his long fur cover arm around the shaking boy. 

The physical contacted chased away Matt's feelings of loneliness and soon the shadow which had evaded his troubled mind faded and was replaced by the light of friendship.

'Gabumon's right, this is my decision, but I haven't even passed the Digi-Core's test. Ladydevimon believed in me and so does Gabumon, I don't want to let them down. If Deamon and Gennia want to get rid of me then they can try, as long as I have friends and I remain calm inside I can overcome this.' Matt seceded in pushing back the darkness within him. The recognition that he not only had enemies on the outside, but a threat also existed within his very heart made him shiver, but also gave him a new desire to overcome all challenges in his path to destiny.

"Gabumon, thank you." The child of Friendship spoke his gratitude then stood from the cold floor. A wave of dizziness passed over him and he swayed from blurry vision and lack of feeling in his limbs, soon the spell paced and his senses returned to normal.

"Brown." The decided voice of Gabumon declared.

Matt looked down at his companion with confusion, after cocking an eyebrow at the smiling digimon he asked. "What?" his voice held amusement along with confusion.

"You asked me if I wanted white rice or brown rice and the answer is brown." The digimon expressed again.

Matt laughed, all the fear which had dominated his voice before had vanished and was replaced with the carelessness of a child. "All right, brown rice it is." 

With that decided Matt returned to the kitchen to prepare the meal for two. 

~*~*~

"Is it suppose to be cover in green fuzzy stuff?" Sora asked out loud as she examined the cafeteria food on her tray.

"Maybe it's the school's way of making sure that our bodies receive a sufficient amount of penicillin." Izzy responded as he eyed the slab of molding _mystery_ meat on his plate. 

Sora picked up her plastic fork and began pocking at the rotting food. "I think it just winked at me." She spoke dully as she laid down her fork and pushed her lunch tray away from her.

Izzy quickly followed the young women's example and pushed his tray back with a scowl on his face. 

"Tentomon is at home eating cake and I have been reduced to polluted synthesized food." The red headed genius complained, receiving a nod of agreement from his companion.

"Hey guys!" the cheerful voice of the Child of Courage echoed through the cafeteria causing a few stares from other students. 

Tai immediately blushed when he realized how loudly he had greeted his friends. After a nervous laugh and a bow of apology the brunette took a seat next to Sora and began to rip apart the plastic cover blocking him from his fork and butter knife. Once he had his fork in hand he began to scarf down the contents on his plates.

Izzy and Sora both watched Tai with a disgusted look on their face. Tai continued to eat his meal oblivious to the look he was receiving from his friends. After biting into the fuzzy meat Sora finally cracked. 

"How can you possibly eat this stuff?!" she shouted in amazement as the sight of the juices from the green meat made her nauseous.

Sora's outburst caused all conversation in the room to stop as all attention fell on her. Her face soon faded from its pail color with a light rosy tent, to a bright red matching her red turtleneck. Soon the moment ended and all the students returned to their earlier activities, although that didn't grant Sora much relief.

Once the attention had left the table of three Tai decided to answer Sora's question. "Once you've had my mom's cooking you find that you can eat anything." He replied with a cocky smile, and then continued his meal.

Both Izzy and Sora shuddered at the thought of what Tai could be contracting from the cafeteria food, but neither of them said anymore about it.

"So um, Izzy, is there any news from the Digital World?" Sora asked casually, hoping to bring her mind of the dangers of the cafeteria. 

The red headed boy took a small sip of his soda before answering. "Well Gennia is currently attempting to recover information on the Nightmare Soldiers and their possible new Lord." The boy explained in his usual tone. "There are no sings of activity on Deamon's part, so it is possible that he is no longer a threat, however I'm still monitoring the digi-port's activity to make sure that there are no unauthorized access to either worlds." 

Sora only nodded to show that she had at least heard Izzy's report on the other world's statues.

"Has anyone noticed that Matt has been acting kind of weird lately?" Tai spoke up with a bight of unchewed food still in his mouth. 

His two friends cocked their eyebrows in a questionable way, to show that they weren't certain of what he was talking about. Tai chewed his bight of food quickly then gulped it down along with a sip of his orange soda. 

"What I mean is that he's showing a little more emotion lately. Over the last couple of months he's seemed dead, but yesterday he was more loose and he actually came, that was defiantly an improvement." The brunette stated thoughtfully as he went over his friend's unusual behavior.

"You have a point there Tai, Matt has been very antisocial over the past couple of months, and then he simply showed up and was open enough to engage in conversation." Izzy added as he also began to formulate theories on his comrade's actions.

"Well Matt has always been a little on the quiet side, and he has been under a lot of stress with his band and the whole thing about the school board thinking of cutting the musical programs hasn't helped." Sora's voice held sympathy for her friend. Since she was a tennis player the possibility of loosing the music department didn't really upset her, in fact the cut would mean more money for the athletic programs, but the music department was Matt's life. It was his favorite class and it was his ticked to full scholarships to any collage he wanted.

"Yeah I know that's been bothering him, but I still think there's something else. I think he's been in a fight or something because yesterday he had a bruise on his check and he moved like he was trying to protect his body from contact." The group's leader explained his theories as he remembered what he had discovered the day before.

The other two present looked at their leader with a hint of shock and disbelief in their gaze. "But I didn't see any bruise on Matt, and besides he hasn't gotten into a fight all year." The auburn hair girl replied reasonably.

Matt had given up the tough guy attitude years ago. He had told everyone that fighting should be avoided at all cost. Most everyone realized that he did this so he wouldn't be a bad example to his brother, but he also gave up fighting because he truly believed in trying to settle matters peacefully. Of course anytime a bully would pick on someone he cared about, they were going down. He actually was a great fighter and had earned a reputation of not being someone to trifle with, however with this reputation came a nickname. Unlike the bullies or short-tempered kids who sought out fights, Matt would avoid them completely unless he was defending someone else, and that had cause many people to call him guardian angle. It was the fan girls which started this nickname, and then the name kind of spread and Matt was known as a protector. You could do anything to him and he would just let it slid, but the moment you laid a hand on his friends or someone weaker then you, he became your enemy.

"Hey guys what's going on?" a soft voice broke through the troubling silence that had fallen between the three friends.

The sound of Matt's voice had caused Izzy and Tai to jump in surprise, while Sora turned around to greet the blond. "Hey Matt, what are you doing in here?" she asked surprised to see her friend who generally spent lunch time in the music room.

Matt shrugged his shoulders gracefully in reply. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked politely as he waited to see if he was welcome at the table. He wasn't use to being with his friends during lunch so he didn't want to intrude on their traditions.

"Sure! Have a seat." Tai motion to the empty spot across from himself as a smile spread across his face. He was glad to spend more time with his absent friend, he was begging to feel like he didn't know the blond at all.

After Matt had received confirming nods from the other two occupying the table he walked to the seat and plopped down, grateful to get off his feet. He had been attacked by dizzy spells all day, and standing up didn't help his numb legs grow steadier. 

The three original members of the table studied Matt closely. Lying in front of him was a book written in English which he had set there the moment he reached the table. Matt's dad had insisted that his sons learn English at a young age, mostly because of the fact that he was a reporter and his job caused him to interact with many Americans. Matt also knew how to speak French, that was something his mother had wished due to her heritage. 

"So what're you reading?" Sora asked with curiosity. She was never good with other languages and even though she had taken English for two years she still couldn't understand it.

Matt looked up from his now open book and smiled kindly at Sora. "The Scarlet Letter, it's for my American Literature course." He explained his voice still soft, but was heard by the three at the table.

Izzy gave Matt an unpleasant. "I had to read that book, it was very depressing in my opinion." The younger boy expressed his dislike of the book.

Again Matt looked up from his book only this time his attention was upon the red headed boy. "Actually this is my second time to read it, I think it's an excellent example of hypocrisy and it also teaches one how to strengthen their character. Hyster shows a great example of how to overcome circumstance and grow stronger from suffering instead of bending to your oppressor's assault upon your will." The blond explained what intrigued him about the book, his ideas made the teen seem far wiser then his peers. 

Matt loved to read, Literature was he second favorite subject, with music being his first, and even if he read a book he didn't like he still tried to gain some moral, some tiny piece of wisdom that he could apply to his own life. This particular book gave him a great view into a survivor's character.

"School has corrupted him, quick everyone run, save yourselves before you enjoy learning too." Tai joked; not seeming fazed by Matt insights and calm soothing voice. He had grown use to his friend's love of reading and tendency to turn a book into a lesson of life.

"Very funny Tai, besides we all know that you love to graph on a rectangular coordination system." Sora joked good naturally.

Despite his joking Tai actually is a good student. He makes A's and B's in all his classes, and is top in his class for math and geography. This surprised a lot of people, especially Tai's parents but Matt had known that the brunette boy would take an interest in these two subjects after the two of them had made a bet that Tai could never learn how to draw a map. Of course after seeing Tai's first attempted at maps on File Island, Matt thought he had the bet in the bag, that was until he realized how determined and stubborn his friend was.

Matt mentally laughed as he remembered his friend's earlier attempts at graphing, but then the thoughts left him and he was forced to return to his problems. Not just his troubles in the Digi-World, but disturbances in the real world as well. 

"You're worried about the music program being cut aren't you?" Sora's sympathetic voice drove Matt's attention away from his book that he was attempting to focus on and back to his concerned friends.

"Yes, but I'm sure everything will work out." He answered simply. It was true that the program cut would leave him a bit scared, but at the moment his mind was more occupied with dread of his encounter with the Digi-Core.

"Do you think the school board will reconsider your proposals and keep at least some of the music classes available?" Izzy asked his curiosity of the direction his school was going in was flaring with unanswered questions.

The only one who really knew what was going on with the music department was Matt, the three music teachers, and the school board. 

"Well I don't see why you're bothering with it, I mean the school band is so beneath you." Tai spoke his thoughts on the issue as he began to work on Sora's uneaten lunch. 

"I've already been offer full scholarships to some of the best music academies in Japan, and the classes would give me full high school credit, a chance to travel and meat other musicians and they also offered me brand new instruments of my choose." Matt hadn't really discussed this with anybody, but he knew his friends wouldn't leave the matter alone unless he gave them some information on it.

"Well then what's the problem?" Tai asked amazed at the fact that his friend hadn't already taken one of the offers from an academy.

Matt looked at Tai, conviction held strongly in his gaze. "What happens when I do take one of those offers? The second I give up the fight on the music department here it will close down. None of the other students have a high enough GPA to argue against the school board, and the moment I quiet, the debate will be over. Those other students don't have anything else, only six of them have had offers for scholarships as well, and only eleven are wealthy enough to take lessons else where without a scholarship. Most of the students depend on the music department it's the only subject they're good at, so it's there only chance to get into collage." Matt was silent for a moment; he wanted everything he had just said to sink in to his friends' minds.

After he was certain they understood the dilemma that the cut of the music department would produce he decided to add an after thought. "This in my one chance to make a difference not simply in our class, but in the classes that have yet to come. I want students years from now to be able to feel the joy of picking up an instrument and using it to play the melody of their souls. The school board doesn't have a right to take the privilege of learning how to make music with your own hands away from the future students of this school." The blond finished his thoughts on the issue he had been fighting for and went silent.

Tai, Sora, and Izzy were silent, none of them were certain of how to respond to Matt's cause or how strongly he felt about it.

As usual Tai gained control first and decided to express his feeling on the issue at hand. "If you feel this strongly about it then I'm sure you'll convince the board to keep the music department." The brunette exclaimed with confidence in his voice.

Matt was just about to express his thanks when an overwhelming feeling flooded over him. His vision began to blur and the roaring voices of the cafeteria faded until they could be heard no more. His sense of touch followed his hearing and soon all feeling left his body. Matt gripped the table in a desperate attempt to regain his senses and to make certain he was still sitting in the cafeteria and not floating lifelessly in a pool of shadows. His numb limbs, fading vision, and loss of hearing caused fear and nausea to consume what little feeling he had left.

In a desperate attempt to regain control over his body Matt shut his eyes tightly blocking off what little vision he had left. Forcing back some of the shadows that were clogging his physical senses seemed impossible so instead Matt decided to gain control over his mental activity. Gripping the table so tightly that his already pail knuckles turned white he focused all his energy in clearing his mind. His thoughts soon became organized and he decided to use this as an opportunity to see why his physical senses were fading.

Matt reached out his thoughts and allowed his other senses to search for the problem. He could feel the presence of each human being in the room with him. He could feel Tai, Sora and Izzy, like beacons each of them engulfed in an aurora the same color as their crest. Searching further he could feel the other Digidesitned in Japan, and their digimon, however he couldn't sense the presence of any other normal humans besides the ones occupying the cafeteria with him. Sifting his attention from humans to digimon revealed a very interesting fact to the blond. He could sense digimon far easier then even the Digidestined. He could sense digimon not simply in Japan but in the Asian continent and all islands around Japan.

Brining his attention back from the digimon surrounding Japan to the digimon in Japan showed Matt something very disturbing. There were six digimon too many in the area. He focused on the six creatures heading towards his school feeling the presence of the most powerful one sent shivers down his spine, all he could feel from this digimon was power and hatred. The darkness coming from this digimon made him want to scream out in pain, and just as he felt he could handle the presence of this darkness no longer, his physical senses returned and all feeling of this digimon faded from an overwhelming darkness to simply a feeling of unwanted life.

Matt raised a shaking hand to his head and rested his forehead against the sweaty palm for support. His body had returned to its normal feeling, but he still felt as though he was going to be sick.

Tai waved his hand in front of the blonde's unfocussed eyes to gain his attention. With a small struggle Matt sifted his gaze from the table to the brunette across from him. 

"Dude are you all right?" he asked with genuine concern. "You looked like you zoned out from a second there."

'A second? Was it only a second, it felt like an eternity.' The Keeper of Friendship thought to himself wearily. "Yeah I'm all right. I just think the smell of this cafeteria food is getting to me." He said simply as he closed his book and slowly stood up. "I'm going to go, but I'll see you guys later. Bye." After he announced this he left, not waiting for a goodbye from his concerned friends.

"That was weird." Sora commented on the actions of her friend.

Izzy nodded a confirming yes, but Tai remained still and silent.

'What's bothering him? I know there's something wrong, why won't he tell us.' The leader of the Digidesitned questioned to himself. He tried to think of any possible explanation for his friend's behavior but he was still coming up with a blank. 'I'll go over to see him this afternoon, and find out what's been bothering him.' the brunette decided as he pushed the tray of Sora's food away from him and began to mentally go over what he would say to his blond friend the next time they met.

Matt exited the cafeteria, oblivious of Tai's plan to interrogate him that evening. As soon as he had left the area of school that was currently flowing with teens and teachers he began to speed up his pace. In a matter of seconds he went from a steady walk to a dash that could beat any member of the track team. He ran down the school halls effortlessly and was soon out the school doors. Then he quickly took off in the direction he had sensed the evil digimon.

'These digimon have to be here for me, and I have to destroy them before they hurt innocent people.' The blond decided as he continued to run at full speed down the streets of Odiba.

~*~*~

"Fist you allow the bird to thaw, now on to the actually preparation. Make sure you have a large enough pan and that you have already preheated your oven to three hundred degrees. Now you remove the liver and other organs, they should be in a pouch inside the carcass, so you simply reach in and…" 

"Listen honey this is my man!"

"If you think you're taking my man you got another thing coming you little…"

A flash of light filled the room then faded as the television was changed from station to station. 

'I have a choose, I can watch to old ladies fight over their cheating boyfriend or I can what a man do questionable things to a dead turkey.' A horned creature with a coat of snow white fur with strips of navy blue like the sky fading from day to night, pouted slightly to himself as he grew bored of the daytime television shows he had been starring at for the last hour.

"I wonder when Matt will be getting back from school." He asked out loud as he pushed himself off the blue leather couch and landed on the cool wooden floor of his partner's apartment.

Sluggishly he staggered to the kitchen a looked at the clock set on the apartment's black microwave. The neon green digits displayed twelve twenty-five, which meant that Matt wouldn't be returning for another couple of hours.

Gabumon loved being with his partner and would gladly give up his world to do so, but when the blond wasn't around it left the digimon bored and lonely.

'I just hope that Matt is having a good day. I know he hasn't fully recovered from his battle with Piedmon. He has been taking good care of his injuries, but his left arm, and some of the other cuts really worry me. His left arm may not ever function the same, even if it is healing it still causes him pain and he's having difficulty using it properly.' The reptile digimon's sorrowful thoughts were interrupted by an ominous premonition.

All other things lost meaning to him and all he could feel was his partners distressed thoughts.

'These digimon have to be here for me, and I have to destroy them before they hurt innocent people'

That thought didn't come from the wolf like creature; it came from his partner. "Yamato needs me I must go help him." 

Gabumon forgot all other aspects and obstacles. Quickly he ran out the Ishida's front door and headed out of the apartment complex in search of his endangered partner.

~*~*~

Matt ran as fast as his sore legs would carry him, ignoring the many pedestrians eyeing him suspiciously as he passed. Jumping over obstacles and avoiding collision with the other occupants of the street sent a waver of cramps up his legs slowing his pace but not his progress. He still moved gracefully through the busy streets with effortless navigation. His golden blond hair caught every ray of sunshine that passed through the smog-covered sky and reflected it off with a healthy glow.

Suddenly after running none stop for four blocks Matt skid to a complete stop and looked around. He wasn't sure why but for some reason his instincts were telling him to ignore the powerful digimon, which was now very near, and take a detour in the opposite direction. 

'I have to destroy that evil digimon, he's so close I can feel it, but I also have to learn to trust my instincts and they are telling me to head the other way.' Matt stood completely motionless as staring people passed him glancing at the boy with curiosity before continue their own walk.

The debate within Matt's mind lasted for another minute until he finally gave in and decided to search for what he was sensing. With a groan he headed across the street leaving the evil digimon to do whatever mischief it was up to.

Matt cast his eyes down to the ground as he walked casually across the intersection and headed down the street opposite from the one that would lead him to the most powerful digimon out of the group. Following his instinct he began to jog down the street a block and a half when he came to the entrance of an alley. 

The blond looked down the dark ally straining his eyes to see past the darkness, which seemed to always be a constant thing in alleys even during the day. His cerulean eyes cooperated with his commands and sharpen their visual scale so that he could see deep into the thin back street. Littered with rotting food and disregarded trashcans which had overflowed months ago.

The sound of a high pitch shrill brought followed by a lower scream echoed from the ally causing the blond to jump out of surprise. After regaining control over his heartbeat Matt took off into the ally following the sound of the two screams. Splashing into the small puddles of intoxicated standing water and jumping over the many fallen tin trashcans didn't slow down Matt's speed. He flew through the ally making as many turns as necessary to get to the sounds of fear still echoing off the close outer walls of the old building surrounding the ally. 

Just as the he thought he was getting close the cries for help stopped and were replaced by a frightening silence. The blond stopped dead in his tracks and began to scan the ally. The silence meant that either his foe knew he was near or that there was no one left to cry for help. Matt truly wished that it was the first one, that would mean that the enemy was only interested in him and would let his hostages go.

After searching over the open area that he stood in Matt decided to disregard his normal senses and try relaying on his new abilities. Closing his eyes he began to focus all of his energy and concentration on locating the digimon nearest to him. All the buildings and people faded as all his focus was directed to the evil lurking somewhere within the dreary allies. His body tensed for a moment as he grew accustom to the loss of his regular senses, floating in the black abyss between the reality of the physical life he had grown to know and the dimension where only power existed threw his balance off causing him to sway and stumble to one knee on the filthy concrete ground. His strength left him as he was still growing use to his unusual gifts, but soon the loss of energy paid off. His senses showed him that the evil he sot was very near, and it also showed him exactly how to find it.

Slowly the darkness faded and his vision went from black to blurry to its normal vision span. Shakily he stood up brushed the debris that had stuck to he loose jeans off and regained control over all his bodily functions. Soon strength began to run through his limbs enabling him to return to his hunt. After his breathing had returned to normal he dashed off in the direction he had sensed his opponent in. approaching a ten foot fence with bob-wire strung upon the top would have generally brought his trek to an end, but instead of stopping he sped up his pace, leaped onto a dumpster resting vertically by the fence, and flipped over the bob-wire with amazing agility and grace. Lading on the ground with barely a sound and coming to a finally stop on his knee lessened the impact and therefore allowed him to take off running again with barely a seconds rest.

He ran down the ally each time his feet hit the ground they made a soft thumb as though he were simply walking. His breathing was steady as well as his pace and all sense of weariness had vanished from his body completely. Continue on the path his mind told him to follow he made a sharp left and entered an opened intersection within the back streets. Slowly he walked to the center of the intersection and began to scan the area with his eyes while listen for any sounds of movement. Suddenly the soft sound of shuffling and breathing caught his ears and he turned around to see what had disturbed the silence.

Looking over into the shadows he saw two people huddled together with terror written all over their faces. Matt quickly ran over to see if the people were all right, but when he got to them he received a shock. One of them was a young woman around the age of seventeen or eighteen and the other was a young man who couldn't be older then twenty-two. Both of the victims had bruises on their faces, while the guy had a bloody and possibly broken noise and the girl had a split lip with dried blood caked upon her chin. Matt shifted his eyes from their faces to their bodies and saw that their close had been ripped in many places with blood soaking the torn fabric. Both of them pulled the other close as they looked at the blond in fear.

Matt took off his brown jacket and laid in on the ground the he gently lifted the young women to a sitting position and wrapped the cotton jacket around her shoulders before lowering her back to her original position in her boyfriends arms.

"Who did this?" he asked gently hoping his voice was soothing enough to receive an answer. He couldn't help the two if there was still an evil digimon around, but he also didn't know the full extent of the pair's injuries so he didn't want to take any chances of them dying from eternal problems. 

The couple eyes still held fear, they had been traumatized to the point were even Matt frighten them, but the blonde's soft voice made them feel safe despite the fact they didn't know him.

"A ghost." The man's voice came out as a fearful whisper sending a sense of dread to the blue eyed boy hoping to protect them.

Matt shook his head to show that he understood then he stood up and turned away from the couple.

"Please don't leave us." The woman begged as she tried to sit up but fell back down. 

Matt turned back to face the two injured people and smiled reassuringly at them. "Don't worry I won't let anything hurt you further I promise." His words were strong and full of meaning known only to him.

When the couple had first seen the boy they were afraid, but now they knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would help them. That knowledge gave them great comfort even in their wounded state.

Matt looked around the clearing once more trusting his sight and feelings to work together to show him where his enemy stood. Suddenly he saw a shadow sift out of the corner of his eyes. The movement was quick and small but it still caught the blond boy's attention. Swiftly he swung his leg around kicking the cause of the shadow to the ground in one quick moisten. Rage built up within Matt as he looked upon a figure clothed in a tattered white cloth. 

"So does Deamon always send spooks to do his dirt work, or was he afraid to come here and face me himself." The Keeper of Friendship asked calmly as he eyed the creature picking himself up off the ground.

"Deamon fears no one, least of all a weak little boy like yourself." The Bakemon snarled as he floated three feet above the ground. 

Matt was about to retaliate with another insult when a clawed hand stretched out from under the Bakemon's white drape. With an evil laugh the ghost type digimon sent out his Zombie Claw attack, in an effort to avoid the attack Matt threw himself to the side and landed painfully on his left shoulder sending a waver of sharp lancination all through his left arm. 

With a loud groan Matt struggled to his feet holding his left shoulder protectively with his right hand. His eyes sharpened upon the jeering ghost as malice began to fill his veins. 'This digimon hurt two innocent people just so he could lure my out and play games with me!' Matt's usually calm blue eyes turned to ice, but held a fire of absolute rage. 

Matt charged at the Bakemon dodging another Zombie Claw and swung his fist connecting with what could be considered the digimon's stomach. The ghost flew back and hit a near by brick wall from the force of the impact. A load thump echoed from the intersection after the digimon hit the wall, with a pain stricken groan he slid to the ground leaving a wall with broken bricks, some which had turned into crumbles of worn rubble.

A sneer formed on Matt's cold features as he approached the fallen digimon. Just as he was about to deliver another blow to the wounded creature when suddenly a powerful energy blast hit him from behind. Staggering slightly from the force of the hit Matt turned around to see what had attacked him. 

At he saw nothing, which only sent confusion through his rage filled mind, but a figure slowly started to materialize. Soon another Bakemon stood before the blond, as it could not remain transparent any longer. The Bakemon laughed at the shocked boy before sending another Evil Charm attack straight at his chest. 

A cloud of dust filled the intersection as the blast hit. When the dust finally settled there was no sign of the blond boy. 

"I guess that child was weaker then Master Deamon had thought." The ghost digimon that had just attack mocked with delight at his handy work.

The first Bakemon floated to his friend with a victorious smile, which displayed razor sharp teeth and large red gums. "Master Deamon will be so pleased he will probably give us a promotion." The first digimon stated with glee.

"Yes, but before we go to brake the noise to him, what should we do with these two pathetic humans?" the second asked as he eyed the couple still huddled together hungrily.

"I have never tasted human flesh before, I beat it is a delightful meal." The first ghost replied as a gleam of blood lust flashed within his coal black eyes.

"Excellent idea, we will eat their flesh and drink their blood, as he feed upon their dyeing life force." 

Once both had agreed upon their decision to feast upon their two remain victims they floated towards the frozen couple both ready to rip the humans skin with the sharp talons. 

"Please stay away!" the guy yelled hoping that his pleas would drive the ghost away.

The young woman gripped tightly to her boyfriend's shirt as tears began to fall freely from her fearful green eyes. "Don't hurt us please have mercy, please." She begged with all her remaining strength.

The couples pleas and cries for mercy only fueled the ghost desire to hurt them further. The first ghost ran his blood red tong over his sharp teeth as the second Bakemon drooled over his female victim. The two ghost were about to sink their claws into the couples battered bodies when a powerful force stopped them.

Without warning energy griped the two ghost around their _necks _and yanked the off their victims. The energy felt like to large hands clogging off their airflow as they were thrown to the ground ad then released.

The two Bakemon looked up confusion flashing in their eyes as they scanned the ally for the source of the attack. Swiftly another blast of energy his the second Bakemon from behind.

"That was for attacking me from the back, and this was for attacking me period." came a cold voice filled with malice as a bright ball of blue energy flew from the shadows and hit the fist Bakemon sending him flying and crashing him next to his companion.

After both Bakemon had regain control and were floating in their usually manner the first spoke to the voice which was the source of their pain. "How could you have possibly survived my attack?" it demanded to know.

Matt emerged from the shadows that had concealed him for the last couple of minutes. His eyes no longer burned with rage nor did his face so any emotion at all. His eyes were like ice, his was cold and straight, nothing could be read by the boy's appearance. "Simple your attack never hit me." He stated, his voice clam and all emotion was held under control.

"What?!" the Bakemon replied as he looked upon the human before him.

Matt's clam behavior sent both fear and irritation through the ghost digimon, and this only granted the boy more satisfaction. 

"I jumped out of the way, your attack hit the ground not me." He answered his voice cool and collective. "And now it is time for the two of you to pay for what you have done to these people." He stated simply as he gestured towards the couple lying on the ground. 

Both of the ghosts laughed as they sent their Zombie Claw straight at the blond. Matt dodged the first Bakemon's attack and grabbed the extended arm of the second Bakemon. Then he forceful pulled the second Bakemon towards him and with his free hand punched the ghost right in the head causing the digimon to loose balance and vision.

Matt then lowered his right arm; the Crest of Friendship appeared upon his hand as blue energy engulfed it. Quickly he pulled his glowing hand back making it into a fist as it went passed his head then released the fist and opened his hand to were his palm and the Crest of Friendship could be seen as he brought his arm back. The energy then flew from his hand in the shape of his crest; the blue winged circle hit the first Bakemon directly in the chest.

An agonizing scream was let out just before the blue electricity sped through the ghost's body causing him to blow up from the inside. The first Bakemon was gone leaving the second one vulnerable and companionless.

Matt's crystal eyes radiated with a pail glow of light blue as he stared at the dazed Bakemon before him. He waited patiently allowing the digimon to regain his sense and see the full scale of his predicament. 

Once the Bakemon had regain his vision and saw that his partner was truly gone panic began to show on his face. "All right I gave you when, I won't hurt any more humans honest." He stated hoping the hallow promise would grant him mercy.

Matt's face remained cold and hard. "A change of heart won't undo the damage you caused these people." He answered his voice was firm and icy as he approached the retreating digimon.

This time he brought his arm back and blue energy formed in the shape of a spear within his hand. Drawing his arm back a little further caused the energies power to increase, then he threw he arm forward once more releasing the spear of energy. 

The remaining Bakemon froze, all he could do was float there and watch as his doom approached him. Less then a second later the spear hit the ghost clean between the eyes. The energy split the digimon in half each half remained suspended in the air for about three seconds both with a half face covered in fear and wide eyes showing it's final thoughts. Then at last the two halves began to brake up and disappear, as was the way for all destroyed digimon. 

Matt continued to stare at the space where the last Bakemon was left standing until a small whimper returned him to reality. The blond looked over to the injured couple still huddled together on the cold ally floor. Quickly he ran to them and looked over the injuries once more. Both were in pretty bad shape and Matt wasn't certain of what to do. He didn't have the energy to heal them, and he was pretty certain that healing humans was more difficult then healing creatures made from data.

"Can either of you stand?" he asked softly, trying not to startle the couple further.

The guy nodded dumbly as he shakily moved to his knees. Matt looked the guy over then grabbed him gently by the arm and helped lifted his body off the ground. Once the man was standing the blond turned his attention to the young woman. She was shaking violently, probably from trauma and cold. 

The girl whimpered as she realized for the first time that her boyfriend was no longer lying next to her.

"She's in shock, and her injuries appear to be worse then yours." Matt answered the questioning look he received from the man standing next to him. "We have to get you both out of the ally and find a pay phone so we can call an ambulance." He shared his thoughts with the guy to ease some of the man's concern.

"But how?" the young man asked sounding more like a child then an adult.

Matt looked at the tear-streaked face of the man before him; sympathy and compassion filled his heart for the two victims of the ghost digimon. "Listen, I will carry her, I won't leave you two not until I know you safe understand." The Keeper of Friendship spoke kindly as he kneeled beside the girl. "What's her name?" he asked the guy simply as he gazed upon the wounded teen.

"Amy." The man answered, his voice cracking with pain and fear.

Matt smiled reassuringly at the young man, giving him some comfort then he turned to the woman once more. "Amy, don't worry your safe, I'm going to pick you up, don't be frighten." The blond spoke gently in her ear.

Amy's unseeing eyes flashed with fear as a whimper escaped her lips. She began to fidget, as Matt's voice was unrecognizable in her mind. 

Seeing her fear broke Matt's heart, he was certain that neither this girl nor guy would ever be the same again. Gently he took his hand, which was still wearing a black biker glove, and began to stroke the woman's hair. His soft touch stopped Amy's whimpering and fidgeting completely and a calm look entered her eyes as she allowed Matt to lift her broken body of the cold ground.

Matt gently held the woman, he didn't want to move her for fear that her back might be broken, but he also didn't want to leave her here. Amy snuggled closer to Matt's warm body and sighed in peace, as it became obvious that she not only trusted Matt but she also felt safe in his arms. Matt smiled kindly at her even though she had shut her eyes and was probably unconscious.

"Come on let's get you guys to safety." He stated simply as he began to walk going to the north path of the intersection. The guy followed without a word, looking over his shoulder and jumping at every noise as he did so. 

Matt didn't take the same path he used to get to the intersection; instead he went the opposite direction. The original path he used lead to a fence that he was certain he couldn't get over with the two injured victims.

'I have to get these two to safety, and then I have to go after the other digimon that broke through the barer. I just hope I don't get lost in these ally ways. The fate of this girl depends on my ability to get her medical attention, and I can't let her down. Oh please, please let this path be right.'

~*~*~ 

Gabumon ran down the street ignoring the many screams and car horns directed at his as he did. When he first left he tried to avoid being seen by the many people walking the streets, but eventually urgency kicked in and he decided to take the risk of being seen in order to get to his injured and endangered partner. Unfortunately his rookie form was not built for running especially long distance and the pace he was going eventually became too much. His small legs were cramping from the over use of their ability and his breathing quickly turned to pants of exhaustion and need for air.

Beads of sweat flowed down his body, most of them escaping from the fur-covered areas, and he soon had to come to a stop so that he could regain his strength. Placing his clawed paw against the outside wall to the local bakery for support and wrapping his other paw aground his cramping side in a desperate attempt to vanquish the pain only fluid his feelings of weakness.

Yamato his partner had grown stronger, but he still needed him, and not being able to help simply because he was too weak and not built for running didn't help Gabumon's self-esteem.

'I have to get to Matt no matter what, he may be strong but he still needs me.' With these thought for motivation Gabumon pushed himself away from the wall and continued his dash in the direction he sensed his partner.

Just as the reptile digimon felt that he was getting use to the exertion of his small legs a scream of terror rang through the streets. At first Gabumon thought he was the cause of the scream but once he looked up he noticed that the woman was scream from fear of a Bakemon or rather three Bakemon.

One of the ghost type digimon was terrorizing an elderly woman while the other two where bouncing on a car with two men trapped inside. 

"Hey air for brains why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Gabumon challenged as he ran towards the three digimon hoping to draw their attention away from the people they were haunting.

The Bakemon that was pushing the lady around immediately stopped and floated towards Gabumon who now stood in a battle ready position with his crimson eyes dancing with fire. The other two Bakemon stopped a few seconds later and looked up to watch their companion who was obviously the head of the three tangle with the rookie digimon who was bold enough to even challenge him.

"Do you know who we are little rookie." The leader questioned with amusement.

Gabumon didn't so much as flinch he simply stared at the ghost with battle written all over his features.

The leader laughed when he saw the determined look upon Gabumon's face. "We are servants of the most powerful Lord in the Digital World, Master Deamon." He bragged as his two companions left the car they were beating upon and joined him. 

"I don't care if you're the Oral of Disney World, I still going to slice you in half for attacking those people." Gabumon replied coolly as he brought his arms up displaying his purplish claws.

The first Bakemon and his companions soon joined in. "You just a rookie what chance do you stand against three champions." The leader taunted with delight. "Little puppy go home to you master, we have more important things to deal with." With that the three turned their backs upon Gabumon and headed back towards the crowd that had assembled to see the unusual scene playing out.

Once the Bakemon's back were turned Gabumon let out a powerful Blue Blaster hitting the leader directly in the back causing him to cry out in pain and shock.

"This isn't over till I say it is!" Gabumon shouted with anger, as he sent out another Blue Blaster straight at the Bakemon furthest to the left, knocking him to the ground with the attack.

"You'll pay for that little puppy!" the leader screamed in fury as he sent his Evil Charm attack flying at the reptile digimon.

The attack hit Gabumon Square in the chest sending him flying a few feet before he crashed to the sidewalk. Dirt and small traces of blood now stained Gabumon's coat, as he lay on the sidewalk motionless. 

The Bakemon laughed gleefully as they danced around like mad spirits. "Poor little puppy, guess that will teach him a lesson in how to pick his battles." The leader taunted maliciously. "Now to finish him off." Just as he said this he sent his Zombie Claw straight for Gabumon's back. Digging his talons into the fallen creatures black and ripping them down his spin.

Gabumon yelped in pain, as the Bakemon's claws torn his leather like skin, blood immediately flowed from were the skin had been ripped soaking his white coat in his crimson blood.

'I'm sorry Matt I felled you, I wasn't strong enough.' Just as Gabumon was about to shut his eyes in defeat, blue energy engulfed him, healing his wounds and removing all traces of blood and dirt from the now healed body.

The Bakemon were forced to float back and shield their eyes from the intensity of the light. Once their sight returned they saw that Gabumon was no longer laying broken on the sidewalk, but he now stood, all signs of injury or even battle were gone, and his eyes were shut as clam was written on his face.

The Bakemon were shocked to see the reptile digimon recover, but they didn't let it phase them, instead they returned to their battle ready positions and prepared to attack once more.

Just as the three ghosts were lunging towards him Gabumon opened his eyes and stared calmly at the three lunging digimon. The Bakemon stopped straight in their tracks and stared back at Gabumon as though they were in a daze. All three of them were at a complete loss for words as the reptile digimon stared at them not with the crimson eyes accustom to his kind, but with ice cold blue eyes glowing with the same intensity as the Crest of Friendship itself.

Gabumon looked at the three suspended digimon closely, deciding to use this moment to his advantage he breathed in deeply then released a powerful Blue Blaster at the Bakemon on the left, the attack hit him with incredible force destroying him the moment it hit.

The two remaining Bakemon looked to where their companion was floating only moments ago with shock. They the turned back to Gabumon.

The reptile didn't waste anytime, the moment the first Bakemon was gone he charged the second one. His claws were held out in front of him as he slashed at the ghost of the right ripping him into small pieces, which quickly exploded and vanished. Now the only Bakemon remain was the leader.

"Now who's the poor little puppy dog?" the stripped digimon asked as he stared at the remaining Bakemon with an icy glare.

Rage filled the final ghost as he saw that a rookie had defeated his champion companions so easily. "You may have destroyed them, but I can assure you I am a much greater opponent!" the last Bakemon replied through grinning teeth.

After this threat was made the ghost type digimon sent an Evil Charm attack straight at Gabumon.

Gabumon saw the attack coming and quickly dodged it. Running at speed that was unheard of for his kind he charged the Bakemon avoiding every Zombie Claw sent his way. After braking the Bakemon's defenses Gabumon jumped into the air high enough to be level with his opponent then took both of his long arm and brought his sharp claws down upon the ghost digimon tearing him to shreds of data.

After the last of the Bakemon's data disappeared Gabumon landed softly on the ground closing his eyes as he did. After a moment of rest Gabumon reopened his eyes to reveal a pair of kind crimson orbs. The blue had vanished as well as the unusual energy within him.

The reptile digimon took a few seconds to breath and get use to the loss of power before he forced himself to look up and meet the eyes of them any pedestrians that had seen the battle. The crowds of people eyed the digimon, some with grateful looks others with confused stares.

Gabumon didn't allow himself the time to consider how bad his situation was; instead he took off continuing on the path that would lead him to his partner.

~*~*~

Matt struggled down the small ally with the young man whose name was revealed to be Justin followed close behind. The young woman he held in his arms was breathing deeply still resting in dreamless sleep. That was something that Matt was very grateful for, Amy had fidgeted or even whimpered since they had begun their trek towards the outside world and that meant that she was not being plagued by nightmares.

The group of three had been walking for about thirty minutes and were only forced to take one brake and that was due to Matt's own exhaustion. Justin hadn't said much since they began their walk and Amy certainly wasn't going to start any conversation, but the quiet didn't bother Matt he preferred quiet to questions.

"Look!" all of the sudden Justin's joyful voiced broke the silence and Matt's thoughts.

The blond looked up from the ground, which he had been staring at the entire time to see what the young man was indicating at. To Matt's relief Justin was pointing to an exit to the ally. A smile spread across Matt's face as Justin ran ahead of him and exited the ally. Matt walked quietly behind, pleased that his choose in direction was correct.

"We have to find a pay phone so we can call an ambulance." The blond stated as exited the ally and looked at his new surroundings. The street was actually fairly close to his neighborhood, and that fact allowed him to know exactly where a phone could be found.

"Justin," he called the celebrating man back to attention as he careful bent down to lie Amy on the sidewalk. "Stay here and watch Amy." He ordered as he stood back up.

"You leaving us?" the man asked with fear as he ran to stand beside his resting girlfriend.

"No, of course not, I promised you a wouldn't leave you until you were safe." He answered as he laid his right hand on Justin's shoulder for comfort. "But I have to go call an ambulance and the nearest phone is across the street there. You be able to see me, and I'll be able to watch over you, just stay here and comfort Amy." He stated as he released the man's shoulder and turned to walk across the street. 

Justin slowly sat down next to his girlfriends and took her pail trembling hand in his. His eyes never left the blond boy as he squeezed Amy's hand tightly showing her that he was there.

Matt walked across the street as quickly as possible and then went straight to the pay phone. Picking up the receiver and dialing the local emergency number took longer then he had expected since his hands were shaking uncontrollably. 

Once he finally did make the call he received a clueless operator who felt it necessary to find out his entire life story before she would actually send help. Finally after some _gentle_ persuasion on Matt's part the operator radioed an ambulance to come retrieve Amy and Justin.

After Matt hung up the phone he quickly ran back to where the couple waited. "There sending an ambulance." he announced sounding relieved himself. 

Justin only nodded to show that he had heard the boy then turned his eyes back to Amy. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked his voice shaking with worry.

Matt bent down on one knee and laid his hand upon Justin's shoulder once more. "The doctors will help her don't worry." He tried to reassure the man, despite the doubt in his own mind.

"Can't you help her?" Justin asked as he looked at the blond with trusting eyes.

Matt was shocked he was quite sure of how to answer. "I've already done everything I can, but I know the doctors will do everything in their power to help." He finally replied though the words came out uncertainly.

"We're suppose to get married in a month." Justin's words held a bittersweet meaning. He fell silent as he stroked Amy's long brown hair softly. "She always use to talk about her guardian angel, I always thought she was crazy for believing in angels" he continued as he sifted his eyes from her to Matt "but then I meat you, and now I know that angels are real." He spoke with no doubt in his mind on what he said.

Matt's eyes widen in shock then he turned away ashamed to even look at this man who had so much faith in him. "I'm no angel, I could stop those creatures from hurting you." He answered as tears began to fill in his own eyes.

Justin looked confused for a moment. "You saved us, and even now you're still watching over use, you are an angel." Justin stated, the sound of his voice made it obvious that his decision could not be altered.

Matt looked at Amy once more, the guilt that this young woman would not by lying there if it were not for him was begging to overwhelm him. "I can't heal her, not physically, doctors will do that, but maybe I can help her in another way." Matt stood and left Justin's side and went to kneel on the other side of Amy. 

He then placed his hands together as though he were praying, slowly the symbol of Friendship appeared on both his hands shining through his black gloves. The symbol then grew bright until blue light covered his palms; he then pulled his hands apart and placed one on each side of her head pressing against her ears. The blue light spread until it covered Amy's frail body, and then it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Justin looked at Matt confused. Matt didn't take his eyes off of Amy's face, but he felt Justin's eyes upon him." She won't be plagued by nightmares ever again. She will always rest in peace just as you see her now." Matt explained. He had ridden this girl of all the fear that haunt her no matter what they were and that was a gift far grater then physical healing.

The sound of sirens rang through the streets, the sound of the high pitch beeps caused both Matt and Justin to jump in shock.

Once Matt had regained control over his heartbeat he stood. "I have to go now the medics will take care of you." He announced and then took off across the street and back into the alleys without even glancing back at the couple.

The Medics arrived and put Amy in a stretcher and had Justin board the ambulance with her. Once the doors were shut and sirens whaled once more the protective blue eyes that had watched from the alley vanished, entrusting the couple to the care of the medics.

~*~*~

Matt ran, ignoring the sirens, the people screaming, the crashed cars, and the news stations interviewing the many people who claimed to have seen three ghost fighting a dog like creature. He didn't have time to investigate the situation himself so he just hoped that Gabumon had won the battle, that took place a few blocks away, and that he was now on his way to intercept the last evil digimon.

All the time he was running he failed to notice the blood which had seeped through his dark green shirt on his upper left sleeve turning it a murky shade of black. The place of the stain and the size of it could only mean that the stitches in his arm had broken causing the healing skin to pull apart once more which allowed the blood to flow out of his wound in large thick drops. Still the blond ignored this and continued his trek towards the remaining digimon; he didn't want to give this last digimon a chance to cause any of the trouble the others one had.

No one paid much attention to the filthy and now bloody teen, they were all too busy with their own trauma to recognize a boy who was actually hurt, ad the news crews wanted the people who would exaggerate and turn this attack into a big show. Since the Matt didn't offer any kind of a performance none one wished to find out his story.

'They probably wouldn't believe me even if I told them.' he thought to himself as an almost smug smile pulled at his lips. Once he entered an area where many people were he decided to slow down his pace to a quick walk, stuffing his hands into his pockets and keeping his head low her tried to look as casual as possible so as not to attracted any unneeded attention.

As he made his way around the maze of people he was able to see some of the damages done. Most of the victims hadn't been physically damaged but they were all so freaked that many of them had to be rushed to the hospital due to heart trouble. There were a few kids crying in their mother's arms, while the many lost children sat alone and forgotten as they cried out hoping their mothers would here their pleas for comfort. 

Tears filled Matt's eyes as he watched the damage that in his mind was his fault. For a moment he was tempted to stop, tempted to shout out that it was him, that he was the reason for their suffering, but his will to prevent more pain kept him silent. He couldn't stop not even to help the children crying alone, every second counted and he had to find the last evil digimon before it was too late.

Finally he made it through the crowds of hustling people and entered a clear street completely vacant of human life. Slowly he walked down the road until he was certain that he was out of ear and eyeshot from the people just beyond the barrier of buildings. Now that he was not under any eyes he took off once more, his speed had decreased considerably from his earlier runs, but he was still moving faster than he did only a month ago.

Three blocks later Matt was forced to stop in order to catch his breath.

'I'm over doing it, I still don't know my own boundaries.' He scolded himself as he began to slowly walk down the street. His left arm still dangled lifelessly at his side; the pain from the re-injured wound was excruciating. His breathing was labored and he was sure that he was dehydrated.

'I'm getting close I can feel it.' 

He staggered forward, all the pain and exhaustion didn't matter as long as he could stop whatever evil awaited him.

"Having problems _child_." A cold voice mocked, amusing itself with Matt's pain.

Matt jumped the turned around to see who the voice belonged to. When he did he was shocked to find a tall humanoid digimon clad in tight black leather with two long bony arms and razor sharp talons on each hand. Thick horns with vampire like fangs were two distinct features on the creatures head, but the thing that topped all the other gruesome features of this creature was it crimson eyes glowing with a lust for blood, Matt's blood.

"Deamon sent a Devimon to fight me?" Matt asked dryly. He was afraid, after all he was already injured and most of his energy was gone, but he didn't want Devimon to know that so he pretended that the thought of fighting the champion demon was laughable.

"If you find this to be so amusing then why are you trembling?" Devimon smiled revealing the full length of his fangs.

Matt took a step back he was shocked to discover that he was indeed trembling. 'I can't let this guy freak me out, I have to stop him or he'll go wield on the city.' His surprised face went cold as he clenched both his fists in anger. "Why did you send your freaks to fight me, were you too afraid to attack me while I was at full strength?" he questioned his voice raising as his anger built up.

The demon laughed smugly as his smile broadened. "Actually I sent the boys out there to have a little fun, I knew it wouldn't take all of us to beat you." He mocked as he stretched out his brittle wings in a bored movement.

This time Matt was the one to smile in mockery. "And yet you are the only one left."

Devimon's smile faded to an irritated scowl. "They were weak, but I will not be defeated by a little punk like you! I will never be the slave to a human, I will never let you be the new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers!" he snarled in anger as he brought his claws up to make his threat seem even stronger.

Devimon's outburst didn't throw Matt off. He simply stared at the fallen angel with cold steady eyes, and clam thoughtful features. Finally after a moment of silence the teen spoke. "You know that I am weakened and injured, but you still wish to fight, how noble is that?" he questioned as he cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms still ignoring the pain from his wound.

Devimon screamed in frustration and rage, knowing that what Matt said was true made him even angrier. "I will do what it takes to bring honor to my master!" he shouted as he lunged towards the blond.

Matt jumped out of the way of the attacking digimon causing Devimon to hit his fist full force on the pavement. The sound of bone and cement cracking sounded through the street. The demon stayed on the ground for a moment nursing his injured knuckles; Matt used this time to attack. He took his leg swung it around kicking Devimon exactly where the human kidneys could be found.

Devimon was forced to the ground from the strength of the kick, but he didn't stay down long. Stretching his long arms out he jerked his body up, energy flowing from his body like a shield of power. The energy threw Matt back into a near by window to the local toyshop. Matt hit the window with incredible force shattering the glass into splinters some as tiny as dust fragments other as large as car windows.

Matt screamed in shock and pain as he went through the window then hit the display shelve for the window display. Toys were broken and thrown while glass scattered all over the closed shop's floor. 

Matt was in pain, glass was stuck into his back and his green shirt had been ripped in so many places each that it could be questioned if the fabric was ever a shirt at all. Matt groaned from the pain in his bruised and bloody back. 

Devimon laughed with glee as he walked to the shattered window and peered at the boy lying in a crumbled heap upon the broken glass.

"Well boy it looks like it's all over for you." He jeered as he revealed in the victory at hand. "I will have fun devouring your world once you are gone." He stated as he jumped onto the window display and bent down so that he could look the blond directly in the eyes and see his last plea for mercy.

'I lost, after all this I lost to a Devimon.' Matt thought to himself as he began to loose feeling in his left arm.

His right hand griped at the floor as he prepared himself for the final blow, but when he tightened his fist he felt something sharp cutting into his skin. Matt cracked his eyes to look at the objected he held in his hand. It was a long piece of glass with a very sharp end. 

Just as Devimon was bending down to sink his talons into the blonde's throat Matt yanked his arm around and shoved the sharpest end of the glass straight into the demons stomach. Devimon screamed in pain as Matt twisted the glass in his stomach then ripped it out once more. Before Devimon could attack the boy Matt pulled his right leg up and pushed Devimon off of him by placing his foot exactly where he had put the glass. Devimon screamed once more as he went flying out of the shop window and landed on the road.

Matt staggered to his feet all the time small pieces of dug into his skin. Once he was up he slowly walked to the window then jumped out. His crystal eyes scanned the area looking for the digimon he had just sent out there. There was a bloody puddle where Devimon had hit the ground, but there was no trace of the demon anywhere.

Matt walked further into the road as he looked down both ways for any sign of the fallen angel. Suddenly he could feel two hands with sharp claws grabbing at his back and pushing him down to the pavement. Matt hit the ground hard with barely enough time to put his hands out to brace his fall. His bloody hands hit the ground sending pain up his wrist. He turned his body over and rolled onto his back as he moaned in pain. 

Devimon's eyes held rage and blood lust as he looked upon the fallen boy. Blood gushed out from his stomach wound, but he didn't seem to notice or he simply didn't care.

Matt used all of his strength to scoot his broken body away from the approaching digimon, but he knew that this action was futile. 

"The fist person I will go after is your brother followed by your leader, then all you other little Digidesitned friends, each one of them will feel the pain you feel now, each one of them will suffer because of you!" the demon screamed like a mad man delighted by his own twisted thoughts of how he would mutilate the remaining Digidestined once he was done with the Child of Friendship.

Silent tears flowed down Matt's checks at the words of Devimon. The very thought of his precious friends suffering made him want to rip out his hair. 

Devimon smiled cruelly at the tormented blond as he stood directly over him. He was just about to release his Touch of Evil attack and rip out Matt's heart when the blond boy quickly kicked him in his left knee forcing him back.

Matt then put his hands by his head and in one simply movement he flipped himself up and was standing fist ready to engage in combat.

Devimon snarled in fury as he brought his clawed hand around again in another attempted at his Tough of Evil attack.

This time Matt caught the attack, much like he did with the Bakemon only hours ago, and pulled Devimon's body towards his. His crystal eyes turned to ice as he placed his leg by the side of Devimon's neck.

"Give me regards to your brother from File Island if you see him." he stated coldly as he moved his foot to the digimon's chin and in one push broke the demon's neck.

The sound of Devimon's neck bone cracking under the pressure of Matt's foot could be heard a block away as the demon breathed his breath.

Devimon's data broken into many small fragments then scattered from the one another taking away the fallen angels form as they finally disappeared go to be reconfigured in whatever form of hell the Digital World could provided for the cruel creatures of darkness.

Matt fell to his knees in quiet sobs. His torn and bloody hands supported his weight as he allowed the tears to run freely down his face. His shoulders shook with his each painful cry he let out. 

He felt alone, guilty, and weak. Alone because he was alone, none of his friends would have ever been willing to kill a digimon with their own two hands, they would have found some other way. Guilty because Amy and Justin and all the other victims would still be innocent and carefree if those creatures hadn't come after him, and weak for crying, for letting those monsters make him feel alone and guilty.

An arm wrapped gently around Matt's shaking body pulling him into a comforting embrace. Matt didn't have to look up to see who it was he simply allowed himself to be held like a frightened child as he drew in the warmth from the other party's body heat.

"Will you be all right?" a kind voice finally asked after Matt's crying had subsided.

"I killed those digimon." The blond whispered back his voice cracking from sorrow.

"You did what you had to do to protect those people. If you hadn't stopped them then lots of innocent people would have been hurt, possibly even killed." The voice replied gently. "When you're in a point of authority or power every decision you make effects people's lives. It is a responsibility that all of the Digidestined posses, but you shall have far more responsibility then the others, the question is what you do with it. Today you showed that you can handle the power that is yours and use it for the greater good. You risked being discovered or killed to save those people. You did the right thing." The voice ended its speech, knowing that the words probably wouldn't offer much comfort to the dolorous boy but also know that it would at least ease some of his doubts.

"Thank you Gabumon." The teen answered as he pulled the reptile digimon into a tight hug.

"Come on Matt let's get you home." Gabumon stated as he pulled away and helped his partner to his feet.

Matt stood but didn't move beyond that.

"Matt?" Gabumon questioned his frozen friend.

"I'm not going home Gabumon." The blond stated without turning around to see his partner.

Gabumon looked at the teens back trying to read the meaning behind his words without. "What do you mean?" he finally asked once he realized he could not see why Matt was behaving so strangely.

"Deamon knows who I am, he'll come after me again, and who knows who he'll use as beat this time. I can't take the risk that anymore people will be hurt because of me." 

"Then what are you going to do?" the reptile digimon asked worried at where this conversation was going.

Matt turned around so that he could look at his partner. "I'm going to the Digital World, to the southern lands. I can wait there until _Zhuqiaomon _comes for me to take me before the Digi-Core." He answered calmly completely sure of his decision.

"But Yamato everyone will know if you leave, Izzy is watching the Digi-Port remember." The stripped digimon reminded the Digidestined.

"I don't think that matters, he was monitoring it before and Deamon's flunkies were able to get through without him realizing it. I think the barrier between the worlds has been thinned out. There must be a way to brake completely through without being noticed. "He announced as he stared hard at his digi-vice willing it to do something to help him. "Myotismon used a spell, Deamon used a gate, but we have always used our digi-vices, there must be some way to use it now." 

Gabumon watched his partner as tears filled up in his eyes once more. "This thing is useless just like me!" the blond teen shouted as a tear fell from his crystal eyes and landed on his digi-vice.

Suddenly the small machine began to glow, at first a light blue which quickly turned into a dark stronger blue. Then the light engulfed both Matt and his digimon, and without warning the light faded as well as the reptile digimon and the Keeper of Friendship.

~*~*~

Well this chapter is done, it's finally done. *shouts for joy * I didn't think I would ever finish it. Okay the fight scenes still suck don't they? *blushes * I'm still working on improving the action part of the serious. Well review please, I am still aiming for five reviews per chapter, but if more then five people would like to review then that will be okay to hehehe. I am really hyper right now and I have to leave for drivers Ed. In thirty minutes so have a nice day and please review.


	6. Care From a Wolf, a Demon, and a Wizard

A/N: I'm really proud of myself I got started on this the day I posted chapter five. I'm making this up as I go (you've probably noticed that already) so if it gets confusing or it has been confusing in past chapters I apologize, I know how this story will end, I'm just not sure of how to get it to the ending.  
  
  
  
Oh and sorry about all the spelling and grammar errors in all these chapters, I've been rushing through the editing part due to the fact that it already takes me so long to get new chapters out.  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
"I think my digi-vice grants wishes." Matt stated as brushed his clothes off, preventing loose dirt from getting stuck to the sweat or blood covered areas of his garments.  
  
"Do you think that's what it was, an answer to a wish?" Gabumon asked from his side as he too brushed the loose dirt from his body.  
  
Matt took a few steps forward, his head cast downward as he stared at his brown shoes. "No, I guess not, but it's a nice thought." He replied softly as he took a few more steps forward still with his eyes upon his shoes. Finally he drew his eyes away from the ground and looked at his new surroundings.  
  
The crystal orbs scanned over the landscape taking in every detail of the rocky terrain that he and his partner had ended up on. A small gasp escaped his lips as his eyes came to rest upon a flat area of the mountain.  
  
"What is it?" Gabumon asked from his side, the show of surprise from his partner had startled him into anticipating the worse.  
  
"This is the place." Matt announced as his eyes focused in on the spot his was looking at. The land was dirt covered so there wasn't a very large variety of colors, yet the flat land was stained in many places with a reddish hue that could not be found anywhere else on the mountain. "This is where I had my battle with Piedmon, the blood has dried but it's still there."  
  
Gabumon turned his gaze to where his partner was indicating. His soft crimson eyes immediately turned cold as he saw the battleground where Matt had undertook such serious abuse. Three different sets of footprints embedded the sandy ground completely undisturbed. Fragments of shattered rocks and small pieces of torn fabric still littered the area, but the most disturbing article on the battleground was the blood. Dried blood stained rocks and ground like paint splattered upon an artist's floor. The evidence of the battle between the mega clown and the young teen was a gruesome art show.  
  
Gabumon was so full of rage, all he wanted to do at that moment was to take his clawed hand and rip out that crazed clowns heart and then show it to him while it was still beating. Of course he would never truly get that opportunity but the very thought of it put a smile upon his cold face.  
  
"I hope Ladydevimon managed all right, I mean I didn't really stick around long enough to make sure she was really okay." Matt's concerned voice broke through Gabumon's malicious daydream.  
  
"I'm sure she's okay, it takes a lot to bring down a Ladydevimon." The stripped digimon replied with confidence. He knew that most true Nightmare Soldiers were stronger then any average digimon, and any Nightmare Soldier that was loyal to their true lord was exceptionally powerful. The armies draw their strength from their leader, and Ladydevimon already proved her loyalty.  
  
"If you want we can go look for her, she might be able to offer us shelter." Gabumon suggested as he looked at his partner who was still studying the battleground.  
  
Matt didn't answer right a way and Gabumon was about to address the blond again when he turned his eyes from the landscape and sifted them to the cloudless sky.  
  
"When Piedmon was announced the candidate Zhuqiaomon sought him out and brought him before the Digi-Core, but there has been no evidence that Zaquiomon has even acknowledged my victory over Piedmon." The teen stated wearily.  
  
"Well it did take a while for Zhuqiaomon to find Piedmon, maybe it will take a while for you to be acknowledged as the rightful candidate too." Gabumon pointed out.  
  
Matt slowly turned around to face his digimon partner. "I think this is different. Piedmon didn't have to take the first test, and at the time there was no reason for haste, but now the Nightmare Soldiers are diminishing. If the Digi-Core truly wants me to be the new Lord then you would think there would have been some action by now." the blond explained almost eagerly.  
  
Gabumon raised his paw to his chin as he contemplated everything his partner had just said. "Do you think that this could be another test?" he asked thoughtfully once his mind had processed the information and came up with the only logical answer.  
  
Matt smiled proudly at his digital companion. "I think so, I'm human, but Piedmon was a mega level digimon, I think that the Digi-Core wants to test me in anyway possible. I already proved I was strong, and now I have to prove that I am motivated and diligent. I have to take the chance to seek out Zhuqiaomon and demand my right to be tested by the Digi-Core." Matt stated firmly, though his voice was soft with exhaustion.  
  
Gabumon nodded his head in agreement, showing that he would follow his friend to the end of the world and back.  
  
Once Matt had received an affirming nod from his partner he started off in the direction that he and Ladydevimon had used to get up the mountain. He took a few steady steps, but soon his legs began to sway beneath him and he was eventually forced to his knees by dizziness and weakness.  
  
Gabumon, seeing that Matt had been reduced to his knees, rushed over to his partner and looked him over carefully.  
  
A few small cuts marked his upper body, mostly the chest area, while bruises swelled upon his legs. The small cuts on his body had stopped bleeding, however the dry blood latched itself to Matt's shirt causing it to stick to his body and rub many of the old sores raw. Removing the fabric from the flesh would be easy however the separation would reopen the cuts. The bruises could be dealt with if they had ice and a way to elevate the blonde's legs, however that was obviously not an option.  
  
These smaller injuries were not the main focus of Gabumon's worries, Matt had already proven himself able to handle such small lesions, the thing which was causing panic to rise in the reptile digimon's heart was Matt's upper left arm. The cut there had been reopened and had been bleeding this entire time. Signs of infection could be seen even through the blood- covered skin. The blood loss was obviously the thing that was affecting Matt the most.  
  
The blond hadn't once complained about the pain, but the loss of his life force was what forced him to his knees, and unless they could find some way to stop the bleeding then Matt wasn't going to make it.  
  
"Don't suppose you have a first aid kit in that fur coat of yours do you?" Matt joked softly trying to ease some of his partners concern, which could be read in the digimon's crimson eyes.  
  
"Matt" Gabumon scolded, generally he would be pleased to hear a joke from his blond friend, but this wasn't exactly the time to be kidding around. "Maybe if we applied enough pressure and kept your arm elevated then we can slow down the bleeding until we find some alternative to your stitches." The reptile stated thoughtfully as he observed Matt's injured arm.  
  
"As much as strolling through the digital forest with my arm sticking straight in the air excites me, I don't think it will work, I tried that when I first got the cut, it didn't make much of a difference." Matt stated smiling kindly at his digimon. Despite his sarcasm he was really quiet worried about the injury, but he didn't want Gabumon to stress out about it.  
  
Gabumon shook his head in frustration. He was running out of ideas and Matt was blinking and taking deep breaths, that was a sign that he was falling to sleep, or at least slipping into unconsciousness. "I don't think you're going to like this idea either, but maybe we can try a tourniquet."  
  
Matt's eyes widened slightly at the sound of Gabumon suggestion. He had seen tourniquets performed on rescue shows, and he had also seen that the results weren't always the greatest. "Do you think that's the only way?" he asked his voice shaking with a hint of fear.  
  
"I could digivolve into Garurumon, and carry you to the forest. Then we'll look for Ladydevimon or someone who can help us. But we won't try it unless you are absolutely certain you want to." Gabumon stated showing that he understood that the effects could cause more damage then good.  
  
Matt finally nodded his approval and left Gabumon to handle the actual process.  
  
With a sigh of relief and concern Gabumon went to work on stopping the blood flow in Matt's arm. First he used his sharp claws to carefully rip Matt's right shirtsleeve from the rest of the fabric then he gently pulled the free fabric off.  
  
Matt shivered slightly from the exposure of his right arm, but still he complied with Gabumon's actions.  
  
Gabumon took the fabric, which was once Matt's right sleeve, and moved over to the blonde's left side. After examining the wound carefully, he motioned for Matt to slowly lift his arm. Then he took the fabric and wrapped it twice around Matt's arm about two inches above the wound. Then he pulled the cloth as tightly as possible, causing Matt to yelp in pain before he tied the fabric in a tight double knot.  
  
Once he was certain that the tourniquet was tight and secure he stepped away from the blond and waited to see his response.  
  
Matt raised his right arm to his left, softly touching the wrap with his shaking and sweaty palm. Holding back the pain and fear Matt turned his eyes to his partner and without a word ordered him to digivolve.  
  
Light radiated from the small digi-vice, hocked to Matt's pants, as a screeching sound echoed off the rocky cliffs. Light engulfed Gabumon and soon stretched out growing lager to match the digimon's advanced form. Once the light faded a giant wolf with long muscular limbs beautiful white and blue fur, and kind crimson eyes stood before the kneeling blond.  
  
Matt slowly stood and walked to the side of the large wolf. Once he was at Garurumon's side the wolf bent down allowing Matt easy access to his back. Matt struggled to place himself on his partner but soon he was sitting upright on the wolf digimon's back, prepared to ride the giant beast as though he and the wolf were one.  
  
Garurumon made it down the mountain with little effort, his large paws and sturdy legs made it easy for him to trot down the rocky mountainside.  
  
Matt's right hand clung to the wolf's fur as he stubbornly fought back the darkness calling him to blissful unconscious. Garurumon moved carefully so as not to jerk the teen around too much, but the downhill ride was still very difficult for the blond since his strength was giving out.  
  
Now the mountain was out of the way, and all that lay before the two was a flat grassy plane. Traveling in such an open space did cause some concern with Garurumon. If the two were attacked then there would be no place to seek cover in, and Matt certainly wasn't in any condition for battle. Still the flat land did offer one advantage, an easier terrain for running.  
  
"Head southwest, that direction will bring us to a forest, and that is where we should find Ladydevimon." Matt ordered from on top the massive beast.  
  
Garurumon growled a yes and began a slow trot in the direction the teen had said to go. After a few minutes at that speed, Matt grew restless and began to fidget from where he sat.  
  
"Garurumon, don't worry, there are no digimon for miles, and I can handle you going at a quicker speed." The blond stated hoping to encourage the wolf to take to a faster pace.  
  
The white wolf nodded in reply to Matt's announcement then began to speed up. At first he went from his slow trot to a run, but the run quickly turned into an astonishing dash. Soon the wolf was moving through the field going at least forty miles per hour.  
  
Matt didn't so much as tense up from the wolf's incredible speed. He simply tightened his grip upon Garurumon's fur, leaned forward and enjoyed the ride. The wind blowing through his hair cooled the fever that was creeping up on his weakened body. He closed his eyes allowing the moving motion to rocking him into relaxation as he gave his full trust to the wolf digimon.  
  
Garurumon was amazed at the speed he was traveling at, even on his best days alone he had never been able to go past maybe thirty miles per hour, but now he was traveling at an alarming pace, and he wasn't even using his full strength. He was certain that if Matt wasn't riding him, or that if he wasn't taking great care as to unsure that the ride was pleasant, that he could be going twice this speed. The new revelation actually wasn't that shocking. Matt was growing stronger so it was only natural that the wolf would grow stronger too.  
  
Soon the field was behind them, and a great forest stretched out before them. The large trees with their dark wood and deep green leafs looked almost threatening as they loomed over the forest floor. The natural chill of the forest and the unusual mist that blanketed the land only gave the area a more grisly atmosphere.  
  
The frigid climate and obscure clearings didn't seem to bother Matt; he merely patted Garurumon's neck, showing the beast that it was all right to enter.  
  
The wolf like digimon walked cautiously into the shadowed forest. His red eyes dashed from side to side as he took in every detail of the haunted woods. His sharp hearing was on full alert as his focused on catching every sound of movement that transpired within a five-mile radius.  
  
The dark didn't bother him, his eyesight was very keen and being a wolf meant he had a nocturnal instinct. The cold also wasn't a problem; his fur coat could easily block the icy hand of a blizzard, so a simple chilly forest wasn't going to cause him any problems.  
  
Each long stride the wolf digimon took was agony for Matt. The teen's fever had risen considerably during the walk across the field, and his body ached with exhaustion and pain. His ribs felt like they were bruised, and this made breathing very difficult; the lack of food and water was also causing him some discomfort. While his stomach told him he was starving, the rest of his body despised the very thought of food. These discomforts were only minor in the teen's eyes, he could deal with the pain, illness, and hunger, but what he couldn't handle was his left arm.  
  
The blond winced as his thoughts drifted to the lesion that was causing him so much trouble. His left arm had pretty much lost all feeling, but that didn't grant Matt any comfort. He hadn't really wanted to use the tourniquet, but  
  
Gabumon was right, they really didn't have any other options. Still this didn't make the pressure any less frightening.  
  
In one sense the tourniquet is good, it will stop the blood flow from reaching the left arm, which will stop the bleeding of the wound. If Matt did loose any more blood then it could became fatal, so in a way the tourniquet helped. But there were some side effects. Without blood within the left arm, the limb would die. There was also the threat of infection, which could be very damaging if not fatal.  
  
'It's amazing how dependent we are on blood.' Matt thought bitterly to himself. 'The tourniquet hasn't been on too long, so there shouldn't be a problem.' He tried to reassure himself, but the positive thinking didn't quench his desire for the wrap to be off.  
  
Matt dared a peek at his left hand. His fingers were turning a disgusting shade of pale blue, and when he laid his right hand upon his left a shiver ran up his uninjured arm and traveled through his broken body.  
  
His left hand felt like ice; while his head left like it was on fire. The teen closed his blue eyes tightly in a desperate attempt to block off the pain by shutting out the light. This action didn't help the pain go away, but it did send him into another dizzy spell. When he opened his eyes again all he could see was fuzzy shapes which were quickly turning into shadows. His grip loosened on Garurumon's fur until his mind went black, his limbs went numb and the world itself vanished.  
  
Garurumon slowed down the moment he felt Matt's grip loosen. Just as he was about to ask the blond what was wrong, he felt Matt's grip go completely. Soon the unconscious boy was sliding off the wolf's slick fur.  
  
The wolf wasn't certain what he could do; there was no way to prevent Matt from hitting the hard forest floor. Just as the boy was about to hit the ground on his bruised back a shadow jumped from the near by trees and caught Matt's unconscious form only moments before he hit.  
  
Garurumon quickly turned to face the shadowed figure. His muscles tensed as he stood in a battle ready position.  
  
The figure didn't speak at first; it simple looked the boy over from top to bottom several times till at last a small growl escaped it lips. "You monstrous beast!" a famine voice shouted in fury. "What have you done to him!" she demanded as she stood still holding the teen in her arms.  
  
Garurumon studied the figure still hidden by the shadows of the trees. "I didn't do anything to him!" he shouted back, he already felt guilty about not being there in time to help Matt. "He is my partner, and he's badly injured. I am trying to find someone who will help me save him." the wolf explained, this time his voice was gentle but still racked with sorrow.  
  
After hearing the pain and sincerity in Garurumon's voice the figure stepped out of the shadows allowing the wolf to look at her.  
  
Ladydevimon cradled Matt's broken body in her long arms, rocking him slightly as she held him protectively close. "What kind of protector let's this happen to his partner!"  
  
Garurumon growled defensively. "There was nothing I could do, and if you really care, then you should stop arguing with me and listen!" he snapped back at the ultimate digimon.  
  
  
  
Ladydevimon didn't reply, but her red eyes soften slightly as she stared at the wolf.  
  
Garurumon took this small motion as a surrender and continued. "Matt's running a high fever, and his left arm has been put into a tourniquet. I'm not sure how long it's been in it, we didn't really think to time it, but if we don't get him help he'll die." Garurumon stated drastically.  
  
Ladydevimon snarled in agitation. "I know of someone who might help, but you will have to stay here." She stated smugly.  
  
Garurumon growled again then his muscles tensed as he glared at the fallen angle digimon. "Yamato is not going anywhere without me, and if you truly care about what happens to him then you will take us to this person who can help." He ordered, his voice changing from its ferocious snarl to a commanding tone.  
  
Ladydevimon eyed the wolf digimon; her mouth turned up in a smirk. "You are just the kind of partner I thought he would have." She stated as her eyes gleamed with admiration. "Come I'll take you to the healer, if he can't help then know one can." Her eyes soften as she looked upon the boy in her arms once more.  
  
"Thank you." Garurumon replied gratefully.  
  
Ladydevimon's feet left from the ground her arms wrapped tightly around Matt as she prepared to take the quickest rout to the healer's home. "Just try to keep up." She ordered with a hint of arrogance. "Oh and Garurumon, this doesn't mean that I like you."  
  
With that stated, the two digimon took off with amazing speed, as they both rushed to save the one who meant more to them then life itself.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
"This is where the healer lives." Garurumon expressed in amazement.  
  
"Let's just hope that he will be willing to help us with little questions." The demon digimon replied.  
  
Garurumon looked over the area taking in every detail of the healer's home. Hills with dark green grass and a few rocky areas made up the basic landscape. The climate was damp with a light silver mist settled upon the hills of beautiful green grass. Tall mountains, which made up part of the inner wall of Forbidden Valley, overshadowed the land, blocking most of the sun's golden rays and casting the land in a almost mystical twilight.  
  
Unlike most of Forbidden Valley this area was warm with only a gentle autumn breeze blowing playfully over the grassy hills. No water source could be seen however the sound of running water could be heard reverberating off the mountains from some unknown source. If you tried to compare the land with that of the real world the closes you would come would be the emerald green hill of Ireland along with the rocky hills of Scotland, but even those two places could not compare with the beauty of the landscape in northeast Forbidden Valley. The area was defiantly enchanting, a place of magic.  
  
"Follow me. His home is close." Ladydevimon's soft voice broke through the wolf's wonder.  
  
The two digimon continued their trek this time moving at a slower pace. Matt's fever wasn't improving and he had begun moaning and fidgeting in his sleep. The ill stricken boy had grown deathly pale and his breathing had grown more labored.  
  
Using the Child of Friendship's pain for fuel the demon and the wolf marched on with dread and urgency haunting their minds.  
  
Soon the group left the smooth hills covered in seas of grass and entered the rockier part of the land. The closer they got to the mountains the rockier the land became. The rocks presented obstacles but these small obstacles didn't slow down the determined digimons' progress.  
  
"There!" Ladydevimon shouted in relief.  
  
Garurumon brought his eyes of the rocky ground and focused his gaze to where the fallen angle was pointing. There carved in the stone wall of a small cliff was a cave. The entrance to the cave was actually a large round wooden door. The wood was well polished and had strange carving, that looked to be some form of digi-code, lining the otter rim. In the center of the door was a large, polished iron door handle. About two feet away from both sides of the door was a window. The windows where of beautiful stained glass making up murals of Zhuqiaomon the god of the south. On top of the cliff, where the cave was carved, there stood an old brick chimney with puffs of smock rising from its opening.  
  
Ladydevimon walked cautiously towards the door to the underground house. Garurumon followed the demon's lead and walked silently to the healer's home.  
  
Once he was closer Garurumon could clearly see exotic vines with deep red flowers covering the sides of the cliff and draping over the windows and door. The entranceway was a clean brick lined sidewalk with some small potted plants and statues of other Nightmare Soldier digimon scattered here and there.  
  
Ladydevimon freed one of her hands and knocked quickly upon the dark brown door. The sound of her knuckles hitting the door sounded like glass upon iron.  
  
Garurumon was a little startled by the sound of the door, but Ladydevimon didn't seem to notice or she simply didn't care.  
  
"Healer! Please we need your help!" the demon maiden shouted once she did not receive a reply to her knock.  
  
The two digimon waited in silence hoping to hear some indication that the healer had acknowledged them. However soon impatient kicked in and Garurumon was about to shout for the healer himself when all of the sudden something grabbed him from behind.  
  
Garurumon yelped in surprise as the vines covering the house began to move; two wrapped themselves around the wolf's hind legs while another two grabbed his front. Then another set of vines grabbed him around the neck forcing his head to the ground while it tighten around his throat allowing him just enough oxygen to remain conscious. The final vine twisted around his snout preventing him from using his teeth or crying out for help.  
  
'That little witch betrayed us!' was the first thought that ran through the stripped digimon's mind. He was just about to shoot the demon an accusing glare when he heard a startling screech.  
  
Ladydevimon's panic filled scream rang out over the hills. Desperately she slashing at the attacking vines while trying to hold Matt away from them. The unconscious boy groaned in pain every time the fallen angle jerked around, but that could not be helped. The vines tore at the digimon, latching on to her limbs and hair as they fought to gain control over her.  
  
Forcefully she jerked and slashed, while ordering the plants to stay back. Her grip on Matt tightened, but it was no use, every time she hoed down a vine two more would appear in its place. One vine broke free from the group and went behind Ladydevimon; it then slithered around her neck and tightened. The sudden pressure around her neck caused the demon to loosen her grip on Matt in surprise.  
  
The vines took this as an opportunity to rip Matt from Ladydevimon's hold and wrap themselves around his limbs while keep his limp body suspended in the air.  
  
Ladydevimon screamed in fury at the attacking vines but it was too late, once Matt was taken from her arms the vines wrapped around her ankles and wrist holding her tightly in the air.  
  
"Release me you slithering vegetables!" the fallen angel, shouted as she struggled to free herself from the vine's grip.  
  
Garurumon too began pulling on the plants, trying his best to brake their hold. The sight of Matt suspended in the air gave the wolf a new strength and he stubbornly fought against the vines. Drawing all the strength he had, he concentrated it into one forceful pull. Quickly he yanked his muscular legs up ripping some of the vines and freeing himself just enough to move three steps towards he partner. After he had moved the vines attacked again only this time dozens of slithering dark green plants wrapped over his body, latching on to his fur and forcing him to the ground.  
  
Once Garurumon was held with his stomach pulled tightly to the ground, the vines tried something new. Slowly large thorns began to grow from the plants, after the tips of the thorns had emerged the rest of the growth shot out with the speed of bullets.  
  
Garurumon yelped and struggled in pain as three inch thorns pierced his skin and dug deep into his flesh causing dots of crimson to appear all over his beautiful white fur.  
  
"Stop it you hideous plants, he hasn't done anything, and neither have I. Let me and my master, and my comrade go now!" Ladydevimon shouted in anger.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" a soft voice chanted. The sound was soothing and the voice seemed to radiate from the wind itself.  
  
Ladydevimon looked around in search of the source of the voice, while Garurumon, who could not move his head, shifted his eyes from side to side also searching for the owner of the voice.  
  
When no source could be found Ladydevimon decided to answer. "Who we are is not as important as why we are here. We need your help healer, my friend is injured and ill, we have brought him here because rumor states that you are an expert at healing."  
  
The voice did not reply quickly, instead it left the two digimon in the agonizing silence of waiting, with only the wind to keep them company.  
  
Just as Ladydevimon was about to call out to the voice once more something happened. The fines around her wrist and ankles loosened and then released her completely. As she looked around she saw that the thorns that once dug into Garurumon's skin had recoiled and the vines had slackened their grip upon him, until at last they released him completely.  
  
Before Garurumon could stand a bright blue light engulfed him. When the light faded Gabumon stood in the place of the giant wolf.  
  
The fallen angel was about to ask what happened when she noticed that Gabumon's attention was not upon her. The reptile digimon's red eyes stared straight at Matt as he ran to his partner's side.  
  
The vines hadn't held the blond too tightly, and once the other vines released their captives, the vines, which held him, lowered his body slowly to the ground before lying him gently on his back.  
  
Matt's body flinched as his chest rose in a hoarse cough. The teen coughed several times before his form returned to its limp state.  
  
Gabumon rushed to Matt's side, once he was beside his partner he bent over gently checking his breathing and fever.  
  
Soon Ladydevimon joined the two partners and knelt on Matt's other side. The demon was about to ask how Matt was doing when a strange sound came from the cave.  
  
Both Gabumon and Ladydevimon looked over to the entrance of the cave, and where greeted with an astonishing sight. The wooden door began to swirl like liquid in a world pool. The shades of dark brown mixed and spun until the brown began to turn into a very dark gray and then black. Once the colors turned the darkest shade of black the swirling stopped, and in the place of the door was a dark portal with no sings of an end.  
  
The two digimon peered inside the portal with curiosity.  
  
"Brining the boy in." the same voice, which spoke before ordered. Its soft but mystical tone sent both digimon into a hypnotic state, causing both of them to comply with the its demands.  
  
Slowly Ladydevimon lifted Matt into her arms once more, and then followed Gabumon through the dark portal and into the healer's lair.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Sirens whaled as people ran about, some trying to get home, some trying to help the shocked an injured, and others trying to get as much information out of the attacked as possible.  
  
Tai wished that he could fall under the trying to help category, but at the moment that didn't really describe what he was doing. The second a student from school announced the attack; school closed down, or rather the students and teachers panicked and ran out of their classes leaving the school vacant.  
  
The Child of Courage hated these sights. He hated all the honking cars, backed up traffic, and rushing people; he hated all the reports and officers trying to interview the frightened people. He hated it every time he was forced to pass by a child crying in their mother's arms because they saw the monster from their nightmares.  
  
But these are all things he was forced to grew use to, all the chaos, tears, and fear. Odiba had been named the number one city for monster attacks, and these attacks were often blamed on the mysterious children who could tame beast.  
  
The Digidestined and all digimon were viewed as the enemies, viewed as the cause of this destruction. Officials were always trying to find the identity of the monster tamers, but so far, thanks to Izzy, Yolie, Ken and Gennia all their efforts were in vain. Still this didn't ease the dread that someday men from the army, dressed in bio-protective suits, will come busting down your door in the middle of the night, and drag you and your family off to some experimental lab.  
  
Tai shook his head fighting back one of his greatest fears as he continued to walk down the street listening in on every conversation, in hope of finding out a little more information.  
  
"Hey Tai!" a voiced shouted from the crowds of crying people.  
  
The young teen looked around the moment he heard his name, finally his eyes landed on a red headed boy carrying a laptop on the other side of the street.  
  
After making eye contact with the boy Tai headed in his direction. Crossing the street and avoiding the many cameras was actually a very difficult task. Cars were backed up for miles and news reporters were everywhere, but still the leader made it across and faced his friend.  
  
"What'd you find out?" he asked quietly trying not to drive any attention to himself or the boy genius.  
  
The red head pulled Tai down the street and over to an area where only a few pedestrians walked, trying to get to there homes. Tai looked around and saw Sora sitting quietly on and old bench with her head down and her eyes locked on the sidewalk.  
  
"Okay let's compare information, and then we can determined which information is the more plausible." Izzy stated as he sat next to Sora, who had looked up the moment she heard Izzy talking.  
  
"Well I didn't find out much other then there was three different battle sites, and that there was a lot of blood on two of them." Tai stated as he leaned against the large pine green lamp posted towering over the small wooden bench.  
  
Izzy, after hearing Tai's information, opened his laptop and began typing away with a determined scowl on his face. "Well according to the latest update on CNN's site, there was in fact three different battle sites. Apparently one was fought in the open streets, with many witnesses watching. In that battle witnesses say that there was three ghost fighting a horned dog like creature. While the second site had no witnesses, however there was a great deal of blood and considerable damage done to a toyshop. Let me see what I can get on the last battle site." Izzy announced as he continued to type on his laptop.  
  
Tai and Sora both stared at the red head with anticipation. All three of them had come to the conclusion that the horned dog like creature had to be Gabumon, but this was something the group had already determined. After hearing of the attacks, all the Digidestined checked in and stated that they were nowhere near those areas during the time of the attacks, all except Matt. The group had been trying to reach the blond for some time, but there was no answer on his home phone or palmpilot.  
  
"This doesn't make any sense!" Izzy exclaimed in bewilderment.  
  
"What?" Tai asked in fear and surprise.  
  
"Well according to this, the last attack took place in an alley, not too far away from the other attacks, the attack was made by two ghost. The report says that there were two victims, a young couple walking home from a date was grabbed from behind and pulled into the alley. According to one of the victims the couple was beaten, and ordered to scream. Soon after the victims were then ordered to remain silent. Shortly after that their captives became transparent." Izzy then stopped and read over his screen once more, obviously not believing a word of what the report says.  
  
"Izzy, what happened after that?" Tai asked in annoyance.  
  
Izzy blushed sheepishly. "Sorry, but this report really doesn't make any sense." The genius stated as he again turned his eyes to the screen.  
  
"Well would you just tell us, then we can decided whether or not it makes sense." Sora stated with an aggravated glare.  
  
The red head shrugged his shoulders and then turned away from the computer screen. "Well according to this the victim states that he and his girlfriend was saved by a boy. The victim says the boy was some kind of angel and he had these strange powers. He used the powers to destroy the ghost and then he helped the victims to safety."  
  
Sora shook her head in disbelief. "But there are no digimon who look like boys, and the only angel digimon are Angemon and Angewomon." She stated in confusion.  
  
"Well according to this the boy didn't have wings, but he did have golden blond hair and intense crystal blue eyes." Izzy replied, he already had a theory about this mysterious angel, but he wanted his comrades to decide on their own about the savor.  
  
After Izzy had stated the last bit of information on the boy, he could hear a gasp escaped from Tai's lips.  
  
"Matt!" the brunette exclaimed in worry and then took off in the direction of the blond boy's apartment.  
  
Sora stared at the quickly retreating form of their leader before turning back to Izzy. "You don't really think it was Matt who saved those people, do you?" the young woman asked, her voice shaking in confusion.  
  
Izzy shrugged his shoulders. It was true that the theory was a little unorthodox, but the boy genius never liked to close his mind to any possibilities until they had been completely proven wrong. "We have already determined that Gabumon was the creature at the first battle sight, and we also know that Matt was not at school during the times of the attacks, so yes I believe it is possible."  
  
Sora shook her head in disbelief. "But Matt doesn't have powers, how could he possibly be able to fight two Bakemon?" she argued, the idea of her friend having "powers" frightened greatly.  
  
"Well maybe he used a mind over matter chant like you and Joe did, but I think you're wrong about the power thing. Remember the battle against Piedmon?" the genius asked as he prepared to share one of his long time theories with the auburn hair girl.  
  
Sora only nodded, she wasn't certain of where the boy was going, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.  
  
"Well I kept careful records of that battle, and I have analyzed the information from it many times, and every time this one little factor shows up that intrigues me. During the battle Tai was on the brink of death, and Wargreymon was already dead, his body simply hadn't reconfigured yet, but when Matt showed up he was some how able to use his crest to bring both of them back to life; and restore Wargreymon's strength beyond it's normal parameters. That was very amazing, and it definitely shows that Matt does indeed have some type of gift." Izzy announced his theory with pride.  
  
"Yeah, but Kari used her crest like that too. Does that mean she has special powers as well?" Sora asked confused.  
  
Izzy's face immediately dropped from his proud smile to a defeated frown. "I hadn't considered that. I guess that means that we all might have powers, which blows a hole in my 'Matt is special theory.'" He stated in aggravation.  
  
"You see, I knew Matt couldn't be different from the rest of us. We're a team and he is our friend, not some kind of warrior." Sora stated pleased with the idea.  
  
Izzy was silent for a few moments as he thought of Sora's words. Finally he decided to reply, and stated something that had been on all the Digidestined's minds.  
  
"Yes he is our friend, but how well do we really know him?"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
A rounded hall with beautiful polished banisters and a high ceiling lead the way from the black portal. Gabumon found that once the group was inside the endless darkness faded as well as the portal, leaving the group in an elegant yet homey hallway. The light brown banisters were round giving the hallway the illusion that you were traveling in a tunnel.  
  
The floor to the hall was also wood and had a beautiful woven rug, with deep red and bright violet thread woven into kaleidoscope patterns. There were no doors in the hall, only large areas of plain wood showing where a door might exists. There was also no light source, no candles or torches or even chandeliers, however the hall was lit in the fashion of a study.  
  
"Do you think this hall has an end?" Ladydevimon finally asked the smaller digimon.  
  
Gabumon shook his head then looked towards the fallen angel. "I don't know. Perhaps this is some kind of trap." The rookie speculated.  
  
"Well if it is then this healer is going to pay." The demon replied as her face twisted into a scowl.  
  
"This is no trap I assure you." The voice which had ordered them in spoke once more.  
  
The two digimon looked around in confusion. Their eyes darted back and forth as they searched the small hall for the owner of the mysterious voice.  
  
Gabumon looked around until his eye rested upon the wall next to him. The dark wood began to grow soft, and then the polish became completely flat and even. The dark wood then began to fade in color as it thinned out. Once this process was done all that remained of this particular area of the wall was a thin transparent piece of glass with a light brown tent.  
  
The stripped digimon walked up to the glass wall and peered in. Once he strained his eyes hard enough he could see some sort of room on the other side. Slowly he touch the glass with the palm of his hand.  
  
Immediately the contact sent a command to the door. Once Gabumon's warm paw touched the glass; the window began to move. Slowly and even crack ran down the center of the glass in a perfect straight line. Then the two halves of the glass pushed back in the direction of the room, just like a door.  
  
Gabumon's crimson eyes scanned over the room carefully. The space was large and had many items scattered about it. One area off to the right corner was covered in colorful cushion. A desk with elegantly carved legs sat off to the left side of the room with scrolls and a few burning candles scattered on top. A long table, which was very low to the ground, rested in the center of the room, while a mat was laid out just behind it. And finally there was the fire place, unlike the rest of the room, the fire place was of ordinary stone, probably carved out of the cliff itself, and had a blazing fire burning in it.  
  
Ladydevimon ignored all the lovely assets of the room and walked immediately to the mat laying on the ground.  
  
The mat seemed to be made of many lawyers of cloth, while the top cloth was a light blue piece of silk, embroidered on the outside with silver thread. The pillow lying at the head of the mat was a beautiful navy blue satin cushion.  
  
Gently Ladydevimon lower the injured teen to the mat and placed him on the soft fabric.  
  
Once Matt was resting on the soft cot Gabumon walked to his side and sat down, while Ladydevimon wandered around the room looking at everything that caught her curiosity.  
  
'You don't deserve this, I know you're extraordinary, but you're still just a kid. Well maybe young man is more appropriate, but still you should be at home resting on your couch while flipping through those three hundred channels with nothing good on. It's not fair that you're lying here sick and injured, I should be the one in pain. All the other Digidestined are free from these kinds of attacks, they will always have their partners with them, but you will have to fight many of your battles on your own. I just wish I could take all the pain away.'  
  
'You will not need to.'  
  
Gabumon jumped then looked around in surprise and fear. Someone was reading his thoughts, not only that but someone answered his thoughts as well.  
  
"Ladydevimon, he's reading our thoughts!" Gabumon exclaimed to the demon digimon who was now at the wooden desk flipping through old scrolls. "Why did you bring us here if we were just going to be attacked and then intruded on?" Gabumon shouted at the female digimon.  
  
Laydevimon placed her hands on her hips as her face twisted into an angry frown. "First of all I didn't know we were going to be attacked and second who is reading our thoughts?" she asked in irritation, as she grew very offended by the accusation the rookie was making about her.  
  
Gabumon stared at the fallen angel in disbelief. "I thought you said you knew this digimon." He stated through grinned teeth.  
  
"I said I knew of him! I never loose a fight so I never get injured so I never need a healer!" she retorted partly in mockery and partly in anger.  
  
At that moment Gabumon simply wanted to pull out his fur in frustration. Matt was being hunted and Ladydevimon took him to a place where she didn't even know who lived there, or who that digimon worked for.  
  
Just as the reptile digimon was about to shout a few insults at the ultimate digimon a soft laugh radiated throughout the room. The laugh wasn't mocking or evil, it was simply pleasant and soft. Whoever was laughing was greatly amused by something, of course the laughter only added to the tension in the room.  
  
"You two are very amusing, but your fighting won't help the boy." The voice stated through his laughter.  
  
Gabumon took a deep breath in an attempt to take control of the anger and frustration that was building up within him. "I know our fighting won't help him, but neither will your taunting. So please if you have any intention of helping us then do it now, or let us go so we can find another way to help our friend."  
  
The light within the room grew brighter as the fire in the fireplace flared into amazing sparks of orange and red light. Soon the flame began to take a form as he floated out of the fireplace and hovered above the wooden floor. Once the fire had completely separated into two flames, one in the fireplace and one hovering above the ground, the fireplace turned back to it's normal flame while the flame hovering above the ground began to take shape.  
  
Soon a short figure with a pointed hat and a ragged cape formed out of the flame. Once the basic figure was formed the flame vanished and there standing before the two digimon was a child size being clad in a loose one piece garment. The main part of the garment was black with silver patches, zippers and designs placed all about it. A cape of light neon blue floated behind the figure giving him a mysterious look. The cape itself seemed to glow and the inside was decorated with silver digi-code. Two gray boots and two gray gloves covered his feet and hands while a pointed wizard's hat rested proudly upon his head. The cape reached high onto his face covering up his mouth while the rim of his matching hat shielded his soft blue eyes, and finally hidden under his neon blue hat was light gray hair held back by a ponytail.  
  
  
  
"Are you a Wizardmon?" Gabumon finally asked after the mysterious digimon had landed on the floor between the fireplace and Matt.  
  
The small digimon shook his head no and if one could see his face then they would know that an amused smile appeared there every time someone would ask him that question.  
  
"Wizardmon and I are alike but we are also very different. Wizardmon are more open while my kind prefers to remain away from other. Wizardmon also travel and seek out the sick, while my kind prefers to remain in one place." The wizard digimon explained.  
  
"Well then what should I call you?" Gabumon asked gently. He could tell that this digimon didn't fully trust them, he could also tell that this digimon would never hurt them unless he felt he was in danger.  
  
"You may call me Sorcerymon."  
  
"Well Sorcerymon, you've caused use a lot of trouble, and it had better be worth it." Ladydevimon stated with cold eyes. In her mind this little wizard had not only attacked them without provocation, but had also endangered her master's life.  
  
The wizard digimon winced from the icy glare he was receiving from the fallen angel. "I wasn't sure of what you wanted, these are confusing times, many of Deamon's servants have come around asking question. I don't want to take any risk of getting mixed up with that monster or his followers. I'm not a digimon of war." He explained softly.  
  
Ladydevimon's face didn't change from its cold state and though no verbal reply came from her you could feel the sarcastic words within her stare.  
  
"Never mind her, I think her mask is on too tight." Gabumon spoke trying to relax the wizard digimon and move on to the more important matters. Luckily for him Ladydevimon chosen not to reply to his remark, giving him the opportunity to continue. "Sorcerymon, you said that you are a healer, could you please heal my friend? I will give you anything I have just please help him." the reptile begged.  
  
"But what could you a partner to a Digidestined possibly have that I could want or need?" Sorcerymon replied skeptically.  
  
Gabumon lowered his head casting his eye upon Matt's injured form. 'He's right I have nothing to give him.'  
  
"I have many things that could be considered of value, simply name what you want and if I do not have it then I will go find it for you." Ladydevimon spoke up offering her services to save Matt.  
  
"Maiden I want none of your spoils, but I would like answers." The wizard answered his eyes slanted showing that he would not help unless he received his request in return.  
  
"Answers to what?" Gabumon asked quietly, not looking away from Matt.  
  
Sorcerymon turned his light blue eyes away from Ladydevimon and shifted them to Gabumon. "I told you Deamon's servants have been in the area asking all sort of questions. His cruel scouts keep asking about a boy, a Digidestined. Apparently this boy has challenged Deamon's authority, and what I want to know is how he has become so high on the demon's priority list, and why a Nightmare Soldier would fight to protect a human, especially a Digidestined." The sorcerer looked towards Ladydevimon as he asked his last question.  
  
"Listen shorty none of that is any of your business!" Ladydevimon replied in an icy voice which could freeze anyone's spine.  
  
"She's right we can't answer your questions." Gabumon spoke as he looked away from Matt and locked eyes with the wizard.  
  
"Well then I can't help your friend." Sorcerymon replied not seeming at all fazed by the looks he was receiving from both Ladydevimon and Gabumon.  
  
Gabumon grew very angry by Sorcerymon's reply. "Why ask us question when you can simply read our minds?" Gabumon demanded.  
  
"The two of you hold your knowledge about the boy very well, all I can learn about him from the two of you is that you both care about him dearly. And the boy himself, I can get nothing from him. He is unconscious and weak, and yet still he can block my powers." The wizard explained in amazement.  
  
"Well if you're not going to help him then we will leave." Ladydevimon stated simply as she headed towards the cot where Matt laid.  
  
"If you feel that you can find someone to help him else where then by all means leave." Sorcerymon replied smugly.  
  
"You're lying." Gabumon whispered quietly."  
  
Sorcerymon's eyes narrowed as he stared at the rookie in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked softly.  
  
"You may not be able to read his mind but you can read ours, you're simply choosing not to." He explained. "And you really don't want us to leave. The fact is that you already have your suspicions about him, and you want to see if you are correct." Gabumon smiled at the shocked face he was receiving from the wizard.  
  
"How could a rookie have read me so well?" he asked in bewilderment.  
  
Gabumon's smile widened at this remark. "I'm only as strong as he is, and he would have seen through your act much sooner." He replied sadly.  
  
Sorcerymon looked at the blond boy his eyes softened at the sight of the injured teen. "Is he really who I think he is?" he asked quietly.  
  
Gabumon nodded. "We think so, but we'll never know for sure if you can't heal him. We have to go find Zaquiomon that way he can be tested by the Digi-Core."  
  
Sorcerymon bent down to Matt's side and ran his gloved hand of the teen's pale cheek. "I could get in a lot of trouble if I help you, but if this boy can tame the hearts of a wolf and a demon, then he must be special." He whispered in amazement.  
  
Slowly the wizard brought he two gloved hands together and placed them together as though he was praying. Quietly he began to chant words in a language unknown to any outside of the wizard's realm. As his voice grew louder a silver light began to radiate off his hands. The light spread from his hands and began to cover the dying teen and a beautiful glow. The light then intensified so much that both Ladydevimon and Gabumon were forced to shield their eyes, when at last the two digimon were opened their eyes they found the light was gone.  
  
Sorcerymon had placed his hands upon his folded knees while his head hung and he eyes shut.  
  
Gabumon felt that he was going to scream for joy when his eyes fell upon his partner.  
  
All the color had returned to the teen's skin, all the wounds both old and new had healed. Many of them had faded completely while a few left scares. Not only had the teen been held, but all the blood and rips in his clothing had vanished.  
  
A soft sigh escaped Matt's lips as his eyelids fluttered open revealing his intense cerulean orbs. He blinked a few times as he adjusted to the light in the room.  
  
"Matt, how do you feel?" Gabumon asked once Matt's eyes had adjusted.  
  
The blond boy looked at his digimon partner and smiled reassuringly, then he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Matt didn't acknowledge Gabumon or Ladydevimon; instead he turned his attention towards the small digimon sitting exhausted by his side.  
  
Sorcerymon bent his head lower; Matt's intense gaze made the wizard feel slightly uncomfortable. This teen was able to fight him even when he was weak and the power coming from him was stronger then anything Sorcerymon had ever felt.  
  
Matt sensed the digimon's uneasiness and decided to speak. "Thank you." He whispered quietly trying to ease the wizard's fear.  
  
Sorcerymon immediately looked up to see the young man staring back at him with a kind smile. "I didn't really do much." The wizard replied.  
  
Matt's smile widened then his face returned to its clam expression. "I was wondering lost in a world where only darkness could be found. There I remained alone and afraid, but then I saw you and I knew there was hope." The blond said simply. "You saved my life, and I will not forget this. I will always be in your debt."  
  
Sorcerymon shook his head then replied. "Just save my people, save them from corruption, save them from themselves, and we will be even."  
  
Matt nodded and then stood. "I promise I will do everything in my power to save them." he stated as a gleam of determination flashed within his eyes.  
  
"Well in order to do that you will have to get out of here." The wizard answered as he waved his hand.  
  
The once brown tented glass door faded and into an opening leading to the grassy hills of the outside world.  
  
The three looked at one another then at the wizard digimon, after receiving a nod from him the group walked towards the opening. First Ladydevimon passed through the exit, followed by Gabumon.  
  
Matt was about to walk through, but he stopped and looked back at Sorcerymon.  
  
"I will never forget you." He stated simply before he turned back around and exited the wizard's lair.  
  
Once outside Matt felt cold. Inside Sorcerymon's house, he felt warm safe, but out here the world was colder cruller, and less magical.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
As soon as the elevator doors open a blur of blue and tan ran out and dashed straight towards the end of the walkway. The person's shoes barley hit the ground before they were brought back up again, and though he was painting from the long run his pace didn't slacken. Finally the blur drew near to the last door in the walkway and skid to a stop. After he stopped he grabbed the railing to the eighth story balcony steadying himself as his sudden stop caused him to stumble.  
  
Taking a deep breath the tanned hand released it's grip on the railing an approached the Ishida's front door.  
  
'What if he's not here? No that's crazy, he has to be here, he has to be all right. It probably wasn't even him at those attacks; he was probably at band practice or here at home, safe away from the danger. Yeah that's it he was here the whole time, and when I knock he'll answer the door and then he'll invite me in. we'll talk and he probably won't know anything about the attack. He had nothing to do with it, please say you had nothing to do with it.' with these thoughts circling his mind Taichi knocked on his best friend's door and waited patiently for an answer.  
  
Two seconds later he rose his fist to the door and pounded on it once more with his callused knuckles. The sound of the knock could be heard all the way down the walkway, so Tai was certain that whoever was in the apartment would have heard, but still no reply came.  
  
After three more loud knocks Tai finally decided to gather his courage and see if the door was unlocked. Slow he turned the brass doorknob and to his surprise the knob twisted all the way and the door opened.  
  
'This isn't right, Matt and his dad are very cautious, they would never leave the door unlocked, not even when they're home.'  
  
Tai pushed the door all the way open and then stepped into apartment. "Hello, Matt are you home?" he called loudly enough for anyone in the apartment to hear, but softly enough too not draw attention from any neighbors.  
  
The first thing the brunette noticed once he had shut the door and entered the living room of the apartment was the dark. The entire apartment was a dark as night, and with blinds of black covering every window including the balcony door. The second thing he noticed was the cold, the apartment was like ice, the cold was so intense that you could actually see the carbondioxide leaving your mouth as exhaled.  
  
"Matt, Mr. Ishida? Is someone here?" Tai called once more. After a few minutes of straining his eyes he finally decided to turn on the on the living room light. With a flick of a switch the dark apartment transformed into common living quarters.  
  
Tai didn't bother looking in the living room, instead he peered down the dark hall. "Matt?" he called once more, but still all he received in reply was a panic building silence.  
  
"He's not here." A soft voice whispered from within the living room  
  
Tai jerked around to see who had just spoken and received a great shock. "TK! What are you doing here?" he asked as he walked towards the young blond boy who was sitting perfectly still on the leather couch. "Are you okay?" the brunette asked once he saw how unresponsive the younger boy was.  
  
TK didn't move, his eyes stared straightforward, but the crystal orbs didn't seem to see anything.  
  
"TK?" older boy asked again as he grew concern for his young friend.  
  
"I looked all over the apartment three times, I called all of his friends, and my parents, but no one knows where he is. No one has even seen him since around lunch time." The blond finally spoke although now that he had Tai could tell just how disturbed the boy was.  
  
"I'm sure he's okay, he goes off on his own all the time." Tai tried to reason.  
  
"If you really thought he was fine then you wouldn't be here." TK snapped as he finally turned to look at the older boy. His eyes held so much worry and his voice sounded so similar to his older brother.  
  
'Man TK and Matt are very different, but they are also so alike. Both have that intense stare when ever they're worried about someone, and both have that protective nature.' The leader thought to himself as he sat down next to the younger boy. "I guess you saw the news reports too."  
  
"I just don't understand! Why didn't he call us for help?" TK shouted in frustration. "The news reports said that there was a lot of blood, Bakemon don't bleed, so that means the blood had to have come from him."  
  
Tai wrapped his arm protectively around the younger boy, drawing him into a comforting embrace. "I'm sure he's okay" Tai didn't get a chance to finish because TK jerked out of his hold and stood up.  
  
"If he is really okay then why isn't he here? The report said that a boy fought two of the Bakemon, how could Matt have possibly taken out two Bakemon?" the boy exclaimed as he hung his head trying to hide the tears that were building up in his eyes.  
  
Tai slowly stood up and looked at the younger boy, his heart went out to the Child of Hope; it was true that he was worried about Matt, but TK was beyond worried he was panicked.  
  
"I don't know TK, I'm worried too, but we have to have hope. We have to hope that he's okay and that he'll be back soon." The older boy coaxed softly.  
  
TK nodded his head slowly showing that he understood what the brunette meant. "I'm not leaving until he gets back." He stated simply.  
  
Tai smiled and nodded. "Me neither." He announced, as the two looked at each other both understanding the other's worry. "Don't worry you know your brother's too stubborn to be taken down by a bunch of ghost." Tai expressed with a confident grin.  
  
TK smiled and nodded, he knew his brother was strong, but still that didn't ease the worry much.  
  
'Big brother please be okay.'  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
Okay I need opinions, should I shorten the chapter length, or should I stop adding little sense (like the one with TK and Tai) and focus my attention on just getting done with this story. Basically what I'm asking is should I write less development scenes and just be direct and do the story quicker?  
  
Oh I know the tourniquet was on Matt way to long, and I know that Sorcerymon's outfit isn't really black, but I haven't seen a pic of him in so long that I couldn't remember what he looks like. Oh and you're going to see Sorcerymon again. Last thing is that Gabumon and Ladydevimon are going to fight every now and then because I thought it would add a neat twist.  
  
Okay enough of me please review. 


	7. Stone, Fire, Solace, and Light

A/N: well I originally intended to put Matt's test with the Digi-Core in the last chapter, but I kept getting ideas; and eventually I realized that it would probably take me an extra week to put that part in. So instead of making you wait for that extra week, I went ahead and posted chapter six, and put the test in this chapter, so enjoy.

A/N2: the end of this chapter is completely in Matt's POV; I decided to try something new.

One last thing, I want to remind you that there is zero romance in this fic; I'm reminding you because my sister told me that it sounded like Ladydevimon had a thing for Matt and/or Gabumon, which is not true. Ladydevimon and Gabumon will probably be good friends; and Ladydevimon does admire Matt and you could say she has a kind of schoolgirl crush on him, but it defiantly doesn't go further then loyalty and admiration. However you may by all means think of any relationship as a couple, but I am not implying that there are couples (does that make any since? …. I didn't think so either) Okay now that we're clear on that please read.

Disclaimer: Digimon not mine.

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The lush grass was damp with the dew of early morning, despite the fact that it was dusk; the mist, which always seemed to linger on the magical hills where wizard digimon roam, began to thin out and settle upon the grass like a blanket of crystal droplets. The moon slowly rose over the tall mountains surrounding the valley, rays of silver light gently touch the ground leaving small traces of heavens beauty to all who woke to dance in her glory. Shadows passed over the land as the chilled breeze pushed the fluffy obstacles around the sky, allowing them at times to feel the strength of the full moon's light as they passed under her slowly.

The bright orb lit the land casting back the shadows allowing the three wanderers to navigate their path across the rocky hills. One small creature with soft crimson eyes, one tall shadow with razor sharp claws, and one boy away from his world yet so at home under the digital moon's light.

"What do we do now?" the tall shadow asked, her voice was soft to match the sounds of night.

"We follow our original plain." The smallest of the group answered as he pushed himself over a large group of rocks.

"And what exactly was our original plain?" the first one asked her voice racked with irritation.

"We're going to seek out Zhuqiaomon, he is the only one who can bring me before the Digi-Core." The final one replied, a hint of amusement was held in his voice as he thought about how his two companions had been bickering off and on for the entire thirty minutes they had been walking.

"Well if we are looking for Zhuqiaomon, then we should head south-west." Ladydevimon informed as she pointed in the direction she believed they should go.

"And why exactly should we head south-west?" Gabumon asked in annoyance.

Matt held back a laugh at the two digimon who had begun arguing again. 'It's odd, both of them seem so quiet, you would never have thought that such reserved digimon could be so loud.' The blond chuckled a little at his own thoughts before turning around to address the two digimon who were now in a glaring contest.

"Ladydevimon's right, we have to go south-west because that is where we will find the volcano that Zhuqiaomon is supposedly at." Matt announced bringing the two digimon's glaring contest to an end with Ladydevimon's triumphant smile and Gabumon's aggravated scowl. "There's just one thing, I want to get there as soon as possible, so…" 

Matt didn't finish he only looked at the rookie digimon, who in returned nodded showing that he understood what his partner was planning to do. 

Light began to glow from underneath Matt's shirt as his digivice, which was latched to his pants, began to screech. The light from the small device increased as well as the sound and soon light had completely surrounded Gabumon. The light began to grow in shape and when it at last vanished a giant wolf stood proudly upon the rocky hill.

Matt didn't say anything he simply smiled showing his satisfaction with his partner's champion form and approached the wolf.

Garurumon silently bent down allowing the teen to jump gracefully onto his back. The jump took no effort for Matt and soon he was sitting securely upon the large wolf's back, and Garurumon stood to his full height.

"Ladydevimon we're going to be going at a pretty fast speed so if you need us to slow down then just say so okay." Matt said as he gripped his partner's fur and prepared for the ride.

"Please I can keep up with a champion." The demon mocked as she flashed Garurumon a challenging smile.

Matt saw the tension between his two friends, but he choose not to ignore it. He knew that the two fought, but that they also respected one another, and if they ever did form a friendship it would have to be gradually, it couldn't be forced.

'I just need to focus on one thing at a time. First find Zhuqiaomon, and then see what comes along.' Matt lectured himself as he found his thoughts drifting to the upcoming test. 'TK's probably worried sick about me; I shouldn't have just left! I should have at lest told him where I was going, but it's too late for that now, all I can do is hope that he and the others are okay. Little brother please be okay.' Matt pushed back the tears he knew were coming from the thought of his brother, and focused on his current situation.

"Let's go." He ordered simply, and with his commanded Garurumon sped off like a bullet leaving a gun.

Ladydevimon was suspended in mid air. Her mind was swirling with astonishment at the sight which had just displayed before her. It took less then a second for Garurumon to take off and work his speed up to forty miles per hour, now the wolf was passed his trot and was moving at an amazing speed. The demon shook her head and regained control of her senses. She then took off after realizing that the wolf digimon was many miles ahead of her. Swiftly she flew in the air and tried to catch up the leading digimon.

The beast's long muscular legs flexed and released gracefully as he leaped over all obstacles within his path. His paws hit the ground so quickly and lightly that they barely made a sound. His breathing remained even and fatigue banished from his body.

Matt leaned forward and tightened his grip on Garurumon's frost white fur. Every time the digimon would speed up or adjust his motion Matt would move with him. The two friends knew what moves the other would make before he could make it, and to any who might have been watching them it was clear to see that they moved and thought as one.

'There's a forest coming up, and beyond that is Mt. Flame.' 

"Garurumon let's rest in that forest and wait for Ladydevimon to catch up." Matt yelled over the sound of the air passing by the racing digimon.

Garurumon growled showing that he had heard his partner and approached the forest, as he grew near the edge of the collective of trees he slowed his pass down to a trot, and then went into a full walk when he entered the shadows off the forest.

"I don't see why we should have to wait, that little demon is slowing down our pace; we should just leave her." the wolf growled in disgust.

"You don't really mean that do you?" Matt asked with a smile, as he saw through his partner's bluff. "You know I think you really like her, but you're just too stubborn to admit it." the blond teased as he slid off his partner's back.

Garurumon only growled warning his friend not to go any further with the 'you and Ladydevimon make a great team' idea.

Matt chuckled at his annoyed friend's face, and then walked ahead of the wolf.

'It's nice to see him laugh so carefree like that. I only wish that he would laugh more often.' Garurumon thought regrettably to himself.

The two companions continued to travel in silence, both lost in their own concerns, one about his distressed partner, and the other about his path in life.

"Took you long enough!" Garurumon yelled over his shoulder after his excellent hearing detected the sound of rustling leafs.

"You may be faster then me, but I could still defeat you in a battle anytime, champion." Ladydevimon's deep enchanting voice still sounded mesmerizing despite the fact that she had snarled out ever word of her threat.

"Whatever." Garurumon replied coolly as he continued to follow his partner through the maze of trees.

Matt smiled to himself at the sound of his partner's efficiently pulled off _whatever_. 'I think I have influenced him just a little too much.'

The group of three continued their trek through the forest in silence. All of them blended with the darkness perfectly, making them seem like part of night itself. Great stealth was executed in everyone one of their movements as they walked under the canopy of trees, leaving one shadow only to merge with another. 

All three of them had excellent senses, granting them sight even in the darkest of shadows. Matt stayed ahead of the group, focusing his attention on finding the shortest path through the forest, while Ladydevimon and Garurumon stayed close behind occasionally flashing the other a dirty look.

After a fairly good hike the group came to the edge of the forest and stopped. The trees had thinned out to the point where there was nothing left to conceal the three, but that didn't seem to worry them.

"There's the volcano, it's odd I couldn't see the smoke and ash until we exited the forest." Matt spoke in awe as he stared up at the towering mountain.

"That is a defense that Zhuqiaomon uses so no outsiders can see that he has awakened." Ladydevimon replied as she too looked up at the steep peak.

"I can only wonder what awaits us up there. What if this is some kind of trap." Garurumon stated his concern, even though he knew it was in vain. There was no changing Matt's mind about this journey; his partner would risk death if it meant getting answers.

'This is it, once I'm up that mountain I will get the answers to my questions.' Matt's eyes narrowed as he shot the volcano a challenging glare which said 'I will conquer you', and then determination flexed his entire face as he spoke to his partner and new found friend. "This is it, your last chance to turn back. I don't want either of you going up there with me just because you feel you have to. This is my fight, and you shouldn't be compromised because of it." 

Garurumon straightened to his full height and looked down at his partner. Matt's face betrayed no emotion, and his eyes were as calm and mysterious as the full moon itself.

"Matt you know I will not leave you now. And it's not just because I'm your digimon partner, it's because I am your friend." Garurumon expressed his love for his partner as he flashed him a large grin exposing his sharp teeth.

"There's no way I'm backing out either." Ladydevimon announced as she floated into the air showing that she was ready to begging the climb.

Matt nodded his thanks to both Garurumon and Ladydevimon, then without a word he jumped onto his partner's back and prepared for the fast up hill journey.

Garurumon waited until Matt had settled then he began his run up the mountainside, followed by a floating Ladydevimon.

Unlike the mountain where Matt and Ladydevimon had found Piedmon, the volcano was very steep and had many sharp rock formations sticking out like spikes. Luckily Garurumon was built not only for speed but also for obstacles. His large paws griped the stones as he used the rocks to push himself up the mountain. He still managed to make great speed even on the steep peak and it wasn't long until the group had reached the top.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Ladydevimon asked quietly, her voice shacked a bit from anxiety.

Despite Ladydevimon's fear Matt remained fairly calm, after reaching the rim of the volcano he jumped off the wolf digimon's back and landed silently on the ground. His cerulean eyes scanned over the area, taking in every detail and storing them away for future use. 

The rim was smoothed down into a wide walkway around the volcano, the rock was so smooth and polished that it looked like marble and when Matt looked at it closely he could see his faded reflection starring back. Something that truly shocked Matt was the fact that floating in the center of the volcano, high above the magma, was a stone platform, which looked to be one football field long and one football flied wide. The platform was also of polished stone and had ancient Digi-Code carved around the edges. The symbols where embossed with silver, making the outline look like it was glowing in a silver light.

The only thing suspending the platform over the volcano were four thin silver chains, which lead to four tall pillars placed on the rim. The pillars almost looked like totem polls with Digi-code carvings and fancy embroiders. Unlike the platform and walkway, the pillars were of old cracked stones with moss and dirt accumulating in many areas.

The most threatening thing of the entire scene was what rested on top of the pillars. Four frightening statues where places proudly on top. Four large dragons with long arms and sharp talon were the stone guardians, which kept watch over the fourth Digi-God's domain.

"Devidramon." Matt whispered to himself as he looked at the stone dragons. 

Each one stood in a different pose, one crouch down on all four limbs like he was about to jump off the pillar and fly into the air. Another stood on his two hind legs with his head lowered to the walkway; his moth hung open exposing his stone teeth while his long tail curved in the air in an almost seductive way. The final two Devidramon held the same stances both standing high on their back legs with their bony arms held by their raised head showing off their razor sharp talons. All four of the Devidramon had sharp razor like wings stretching out from their shoulder blades.

"Those are just old statues, look they're moss covered and cracked." Ladydevimon pointed out as she walked passed Matt in order to get a better look at the field suspended above the magna. 

"Odd, from the forest smoke could clearly be seen rising above the mountain, but I can see no evidences of smoke here, no clouds, no ash, there's not even a scent." Garurumon stated as he sniffed the air, searching amongst the many smells his keen snout detected, but still no smell of smoke or sulfur could be found.

Matt ignored both Ladydevimon's and Garurumon's words and turned his attention to the suspended platform. His eyes scanned over the area once more until his sight fell up a bridge linking the walkway to the platform. Silently he walked to the bridge followed closely by a very confused Ladydevimon and a very cautious Garurumon.

"Sure is a long way down." Ladydevimon stated as her blood red eyes locked with the bubbling magma burning in the bottom of the volcano.

Again Matt made no reply to his companion's words, instead he walked unto the bridge, suspended by iron chain and laid with silver bars, and crossed the thin path without so much as a word to his friends.

Once Matt was across the bridge Ladydevimon casually stepped onto the silver bars and then slowly crossed as well.

Garurumon took a deep breath before shacking his head in frustration. The white wolf was far too large to cross the bridge, and not quiet strong enough to jump the gap between the rim and the platform.

'I hate to de-digivolve, for one if we are attacked we'd be at a disadvantage, but I need to be over there with them.' 

Matt smiled as understanding of why it was taking his partner so long to cross the bridge hit. "It will be better this way." Matt announced as a light blue winged circle began to shine from underneath his shirt. As the Crest of Friendship grew brighter Matt's digivice began to glow and screech, showing that a digivolotion was on its way.

Blue light flared from Garurumon's form, engulfing him in a shield of energy. The light began to change in form, growing in height and shrinking in length. Once the basic form was shaped the light disappeared leaving a tall muscular beast standing on the walkway.

WereGarurumon's muscular body was stretched to his full height, which was about ten feet. His long arms hung to his side as his clawed paws clenched into fist. 

Matt smiled proudly at the ultimate digimon as he walked across the suspended bridge.

Ladydevimon stared in wonder at Garurumon's higher level. "Your ultimate form is a Nightmare Soldier." She gasped in surprise. The demon digimon held no prejudice to outside digimon, however she didn't like the idea of a digimon not born in the south walking around Forbidden Valley freely. Now that she knew that the small rookie could turn into a powerful werewolf, respect and acceptance were far easier to offer.

"I wonder what we do now." Matt spoke quietly as he walked around the platform.

The platform was as steady as solid ground, and as slick as freshly polished silver.

"Just be sure not to get into any trouble Ladydevimon." Garurumon teased with a mocking smile.

Ladydevimon glared at the werewolf as she crossed her arms in an annoyed matter and began to walk around the platform, searching for anything out of place.

"Trouble." Matt whispered to himself as he lowered his head in thought. "You would have thought that such as sacred place would have had some kind of defense here to protect it." the blond speculated as he looked over his shoulder to check on the two ultimate digimon.

"Maybe the mere fear or reverence of this place keeps all intruders away." WereGarurumon suggested as he scanned the area with his eerie yellow eyes.

All the time that Matt and WereGarurumon were looking around Ladydevimon continued her walk towards the end of the platform. She ignored the partner's words, as her eyes stayed focused on the smooth stone beneath her.

Soon the partner's voices faded completely from the fallen angel's hearing range, but it didn't seem to bother her. She continued to walk, her eyes never leaving the ground.

"Huh?" the demon stopped in her tracks and looked closer on the ground before her.

Her scarlet eyes flashed with curiosity as they met a crimson substance on the clean, polished floor. Feeding in to her curiosity Ladydevimon walked over to the puddle of crimson and bent down low so that she could get a better look at it. 

The puddle was one large drop not moving from it place, yet it was clearly liquid, thick liquid, but liquid nonetheless.

Slowly Ladydevimon brought her hand close to the puddle. With an unsure movement she took her first two fingers and dipped her long claws in the red substance. 

Once her claws and fingertips where stained crimson she brought her hand up once more and studied the red liquid. 

"Blood." she whispered in bewilderment.

Her eyes focused in on the crimson and her fast twisted into disgust once she realized what it was. She was about to stand and inform her companions of her discovery when something else caught her curiosity.

The puddle of blood still strung to the blood on her claws, but this made little scene to the demon. Blood was thick, but not thick enough to remain one entity. 

The fallen angel shook her head in confusion, then began pulling her hand away from the liquid once more, but still the trial of blood did not server from the puddle.

With a defiant grunt Ladydevimon pulled once more using all of her strength. With a forceful yank she fell to the ground, free from her chain to the platform, but not free from the crimson on her hand.

The demon looked at her hand in confusion, but confusion quickly turned into fear as the red liquid began to inch from her fingers to her hands. 

"Matt!" she shouted as panic began to overtake her. 

Matt and WereGarurumon looked at one another in confusion then both took off towards the dark digimon.

By the time the partners reached Ladydevimon the blood had passed her hand and was no creeping up her arm.

"It's so cold…" she exclaimed as her voice cracked from fear and then faded from weariness.

"Ladydevimon stay awake!" Matt ordered as he looked over the ultimate digimon.

He didn't know what to do and the blood had already passed Ladydevimon's arm and was now moving down her chest. Finally panic hit the blond as well and he reached out to grab the crimson substance.

Just as Matt's hand was about to touch the blood WereGarurumon grabbed it and pulled it back.

"You don't know what will happen if you touch it." the werewolf explained when he received a questionable look from his partner.

Matt nodded showing that he understood and then turned back to Ladydevimon. "You'll be okay we'll figure out how to help you, just try to stay awake." He urged as he looked around hoping that there might be something that could help his friend.

"It's so cold" Ladydevimon whispered once more only now her voices sounded distant and hallow.

"You have to stay awake!" WereGarurumon shouted in desperation.

Now the blood had had completely engulfed the demon's legs and body leaving only her neck and head. Once it reached her head it began to move slower, but it didn't stop completely.

"Ladydevimon, don't worry we'll figure out how to help you." Matt stated as tears of worry threatened to escape his crystal eyes.

"It's so cold, I can't stay awake…" with these last words the crimson completely covered the ultimate's body.

Matt and WereGarurumon eyes were wide with panic and confusion as they stared at their friend, who was now asleep and completely engulfed in blood.

Their panic and confusion grew even more as they looked at the demons feet clad in high-healed leather boots. The blood on her feet slowly began to harden until it turned from crimson to gray. Soon the blood began to dry out, and a harden gray moved it's way up from the demon feet to her legs and then to her chest, until at last Ladydevimon's entire form had become a large life like statue.

Matt's shaking hand slow reached up to touch the statue, and this time WereGarurumon did not hold him back. Matt's sweaty palm rested upon where Ladydevimon's forehead would be. After a moment of silence he pulled his hand away and stood up.

WereGarurumon followed the teen's example and stood up as well, stretching his cramped legs, but never taking his eyes off the statue.

"She's alive." Matt finally spoke his voice held little emotion, but WereGarurumon could still sense a hint of pain in the blonde's words.

"It's not your fault, she wanted to come; I think she would have fought to come." The digimon stated. When he saw that Matt's expression hadn't changed he decided to speak once more. "We'll take her back to Sorcerymon, I'm sure he'll know how to help here." He explained as he stepped towards the demon's stone form.

Suddenly Matt held his arm out, blocking the werewolf's path.   
  
WereGarurumon looked at the teen in confusion, but Matt didn't turn around to face him.

"Once to every man comes the moment to decide." Matt whispered more to himself then to his partner. 

After a moment of silence Matt sharply turned around, and walked passed his partner, heading towards the center of the platform.

WereGarurumon stared after the teen in confusion, then with a heavy sigh, and one last glance at Ladydevimon; he reluctantly followed his silent partner to the center of the platform.

Once the werewolf had reached his friend he spoke. "What are we doing?" he asked wondering what Matt's plan was.

"Waiting" came the low and distant reply.

WereGarurumon arched an eyebrow at the blonde's words. "Waiting? Waiting for what?" he finally asked as his bewilderment grew.

Suddenly the sound of cracking stone drew the digimon's attention to the nearest pillar. 

Echoes of braking rock filled the area as the stone Devidramon slowly began to move. Cracks ran all over the dragons' bodies and red light glowed from the splitting stone. The Devidramon moved their bodies slowly trying to brake free from their stone prisons. Finally one of the statues, which shared the same pose as another, broke free from the stone.

Pieces of rock, dust, and gravel flew from the monster's body onto the once clean platform. The Devidramon's body radiated a low deep red light, and its crimson eyes locked straight with Matt's crystal ones.

Shortly after the first broke free the others busted out of their stone shell as well. Now four ravenous Devidramon shifted from one hunting stance to another, as they eyed the two intruders from their place upon the pillars.

The dark dragons snarled and growled at the two partners, exposing their long sharp teeth and occasionally running their long deep red tongues over the dagger like fangs.

WereGarurumon immediately jumped into a defensive stance as his eyes darted from one dragon to another, expecting the creatures to fly into an attack at any moment.

Matt remained still; his eyes rested on the first Devidramon which had broke free. 

The digimon never once tore his four crimson eyes from Matt, while the other three darted their sight from human to digimon.

The first Devidramon held Matt's stare, and once it had decided that the teen was unresponsive it leaped swiftly from its pillar and headed straight for the blond.

Matt didn't so much as flinch, he simply continued to stared at the dark dragon's unblinking eyes, as sharp red talons headed straight for his chest.

The Devidramon brought his long arm up and was about to slice through Matt, until suddenly the teen blinked and quickly jumped out of the way.

Matt turned around and stood with his fist up ready for another charge as he watched the champion digimon slam into the platform.

"I thought he had hypnotized you!" WereGarurumon shouted in relief as the dragon stood back up.

"So did he." Matt replied with a cocky smile. He had remembered the first time the DigiDestined had faced Devidramon. Gatomon was still working for Myotismon, and she had stated that the Dark Dragon Digimon had hypnotic powers. 

The first and obviously most powerful Devidramon had indeed attempted to hypnotize Matt. The blond wasn't certain of the dragon was trying to do with its withering stare until he remembered what Gatomon had said. Once he realized what was going on he decided to use it to his advantage.

"Be careful, they know now that I can't be hypnotized, but it doesn't mean that you can't!" Matt yelled to his partner as he fixed eyes with the first Devidramon once more.

"This lizard's Red Eyes attack has no power on me. Ultimates can withstand the mind games from digimon of a lesser level." The werewolf explained hopeing to ease Matt's worry about him, so that the blond could focus on his own battle.

Matt after hearing this turned his full attention to the crouching beast in front of him.

The Devidramon bent low to the ground, its elbows and knees extended out as it pushed himself as low as possible so that he could look its opponent in the eyes. Its razor wing stuck out diagonally and its long tail waved above its head in an almost lazy manner.

A loud sound which was not quiet a roar and not quiet a screech came from the other three Devidramon's throats as they jumped off their pillars and flew high into the air. Then like vouchers they circled their prey as one focused its attention on Matt, and the remaining two locked eyes with WereGarurumon.

Then in a swift movement one of the Devidramon dived down and headed straight for the werewolf. 

The ultimate sensed the attack coming from behind and somersaulted out of the way. He then got to one knee and brought he large paws up in defensive fist.

The Devidramon, which had lunged at WereGarurumon, landed by its opponent and hissed like a snake before lunging again. 

This time WereGarurumon did a black flip, dogging the dragon's attack once more, again stood in a defensive position. 

Matt held his ground as the Dark Dragon Digimon snarled at him and crept forward. The blond smirk with confidence as the Devidramon crept closer. 

Suddenly the dragon growled and lunged at the teen.

Matt, who hadn't expected an attack so quickly, was forced to the ground as the large dark digimon crept over him, preventing him from standing. 

The Devidramon got down low as it brought its long snout down so that its mouth was only inches from Matt's face. The dragon then took its two clawed hands and wrapped its bony fingers around the teen's arms. The dragon's grip tightened ensuring that its prey could not escape as its eyes beamed with the thirst for blood.

WereGarurumon crouched and then ran to his approaching opponent. Once he had built up enough speed, he leapt into the air, and with a loud "Garuru Kick!" his large clawed foot collided with the Devidramon's head, forcing the dragon to the ground.

The ultimate had just enough time to scan the area. His yellow eyes went over the battlefield until they landed on his partner. A low and threaten growl escaped his throat once he saw his partner's predicament.

Quickly he ran towards Matt and the beast that had him pinned, but just as he was about to reach the two, another Devidramon dove down and blocked his path.

The dragon growled and slashed at the ultimate with its Crimson Claw attack forcing the werewolf back. 

WereGarurumon jumped into the air, and was about to slice the dragon in his path with a powerful Wolf Claw, when something hit him from behind forcing him to the ground.

The ultimate hit the ground hard, then rolled over to see what had forced him into such a vulnerable position. His eye were blurred for a moment but they soon focused, and when they did he saw the first Devidramon, which had attacked him looming over him, with an almost curious look in its eyes, while the second Devidramon crouched near by.

Matt struggled defiantly, hoping to brake free from the Devidramon's grip but it was no use. Every time he moved the dragon would only tighten its hold. The last time Matt had tried to pull away the dark dragon rammed its talons into his arm causing him to yelp in pain and surprise. 

The Devidramon growled sounding pleased with the response it received from the now injured boy.

Matt could feel the pressure on his arms increase as the champion brought its head even close to his face. He could feel the creature's hot breath upon his bare skin, the stench from the monster's breath reeked of blood. Hot drops of saliva dripped from the dragon's open mouth landing upon Matt's face, burning him like acid. Of course the creature's breath and saliva would leave no scars upon Matt's face, but the heat from them felt like fire on the teens exposed skin.

Matt whimpered slightly then groan in agitation. He hated being in such a vulnerable position, and the Devidramon's bloodthirsty stare wasn't helping. Fear really began to hit as the dragon brought its head lower to his left shoulder and prepared to tear through his flesh. 

Matt panicked, his mind became a blur and adrenaline took over. With a loud grunt he brought his legs up placed them on the Devidramon's chest and pushed quickly.

The dragon screeched in surprise as he went flying off his prey and landed a good distance away.

Matt put his hands behind his head and in a swift motion jumped in the air and landed in a battle ready position on the ground.

WereGarurumon breathed a sigh of relief once he saw his partner was safe. He then turned his focus to the Devidramon looming over him and the Devidramon standing near his feet. 

The beast by the werewolf's head growled low in its throat as it ran its tongue over its teeth.

Seeing the dragon's intentions only brought a deep urgency to WereGarurumon's mind. Quickly he made his left hand into a fist and with a loud growl he jammed his spiked knuckle piece into the Devidramon's lower jaw.

The dragon screeched in pain as it yanked its head up and took to the air, flying several feet away from the ultimate digimon.

WereGarurumon stood up just as the second Devidramon charged at him. The werewolf raised his large paws in defense and caught the dragon by its open jaws, then mustering up his strength he threw the great beast over his head, slamming it into its companion.

The two Devidramon hit the ground hard, both grunting a growling in pain.

Matt searched the battlefield for his partner, and then panicked when he saw his partner's position. The werewolf was on the ground with two Devidramon ready to feast on him.

The blond teen dashed in the direction of his fallen partner, but was stopped halfway by the final Devidramon.

The Devidramon growled as it crawled towards Matt. While the first Devidramon got back to its feet and approached him from behind. The two dragons closed the space around Matt and began to circle him. They crawled on their bony hands and feet, staying low to the ground as though they were preparing to pounce the teen.

Matt lowered his head and then closed his eyes. His senses took over and he could feel every being of power in the area. He could feel WereGarurumon, who had just catapulted his second Devidramon. He could feel the Devidramon; the dark dragons were only champions, yet they held the power of ultimates. He could also feel Ladydevimon, still imprisoned by the stone shell, but resting peacefully. Then another being clouded his senses making his partner, his fallen friend, and his opponents vanish. The power was like fire, burning in his body, his skin, and his mind. The fire was stronger then anything he had felt before and it soon became overpowering, forcing him to return to his battle.

WereGarurumon had a cocky smile as he approached the two fallen Devidramon and return to his battle stance. 

The two Devidramon separated from one another then stood on their back legs with their long bony arms hanging limply. The two best chest expanded and retraced as they took deep breaths, and the many leather straps on their bodies flexed and then released as they looked at their dominate opponent.

WereGarurumon snarled in mockery of the beast then raised his and flexed his fingers calling the dragons back to the battle.

The two champion digimon looked at one another then took off into the air. Flying high into the sky they circled the battleground once more before returning to their respected pillars.

WereGarurumon gave a loud growl as if to say good riddance and then released a loud howl in triumph.

The two Devidramon continued to circle the boy until they felt that he was off his guard. Then in a swift leap they lunged at the teen.

Matt's head shot up just as they two Devidramon began their lung. Quickly he jumped up showing great acrobatics as he flipped in the air three times before landing on the ground and going down on one knee.

The two dragons stopped only seconds before they would have collided with one another. Then in perfect unisium they shifted their heads towards the boy on his knee. They both growled low threatening the boy and forcing him to return to his feet.

Matt's eyes narrowed upon the approaching dragons, then instead of waiting for the beast to reach him, he dashed towards the dragons dodging the first set of teeth which tried to come down on him.

Braking pass the first Devidramon defenses allowed Matt to catch the second off guard. Focusing his energy he swung his fist at the second dragon's chest hitting him rights where his heart should be.

The sound of bones cracking and scales tearing rang out once Matt's fist collided with the unsuspecting champion.

The Devidramon screeched and hissed in pain as it fell to the ground from the force of the blow.

The fist Devidramon used the distraction its companion created to its advantage, and when Matt's full attention was on the fallen dragon, the first beast swiped its tail knocking him to the ground.

Matt hit the stone floor hard, his vision blurred from the force of the impact, forcing him to rely on his other senses. He closed his eyes as the blurry vision made him a bit nauseous. Suddenly his mind opened up once more and he could feel the power of the two Devidramon, who were now looming over him.

Quickly he rolled to his left, trusting his instincts over his sight. He could hear the beast breathing, he could hear their heart beats, and he could hear every movement they made. 

Just as Matt had learned to trust his hearing, he opened his eyes and found that his vision had return to normal, but his hearing still remained keen. Now he could see the still standing Devidramon approaching him once more.

Matt clenched his fist and suddenly a pale blue light began to glow from his hand, then the light grew darker and brighter.

The two Devidramon shielded their eyes from the light, and Matt used this as an opportunity to attack. Pulling his fist back he focused his energy once more. Then he brought his arm forward as though he were swapping at flies and blue energy flew out in the shade of a blade. 

The energy was released from his arm so quickly that the Devidramon didn't have time to reach. The blast hit the two dragons and exploded.

The dark digimon screeched in pain and then fell to the ground. 

Both shakily got up and then shook their heads to clear their minds. Then they both blinked clearing their vision and looked at their opponent.

Matt stood perfectly still. His head was held high and his eyes were as cold as ice.

The Devidramon saw that the teen was superior, and in respect of his victory they bowed their heads then jumped into the air. Like the Devidramon that WereGarurumon had defeated, the remaining two circled the site then flew to their pillars.

Once all four Devidramon were upon their perches, they shifted into a new position as their bodies once more transformed into stone. Now there were four Dark Dragon Digimon statues perched on their back legs, with their arms hanging comfortably to their sides, and their heads bowed low in reverence.

"Well that wasn't too difficult." WereGarurumon stated with a grin.

Matt smiled back for a moment then he turned his sight to his bleeding arms. The Devidramon's claws hadn't gone too deep, so the wounds wouldn't be fatal or very painful, but the irony of seeking out a healer only to get injured again showed the teen just how dangerous his life will be.

"Now what do you think we should do?" WereGarurumon questioned his friend.

"I don't know." The blond whispered back as he looked over the platform which had become a battle zone.

Suddenly the platform began to shake and smoke began to rise from the volcano and settle over the mountain.

"What's going on!?" Matt shouted over the sound of rumbling ground.

WereGarurumon headed towards the edge of the platform staggering back and forth as the shaking ground tossed him and Matt to and fro.

"The magma is spinning like a whirlpool!" the werewolf shouted once he had bent down and looked at the source of the shaking.

The ground began to shake even worse forcing Matt to the ground, then just as quickly as it had begun the shaking stopped. Everything was perfectly still, the smoke which had risen during the time of the _earthquake_ now settled upon the volcano and was spinning in a whirlpool fashion just like the magma. The dark clouds produced by fire created a barrier between the Digi-World and the stars, blocking most of the full moon's light and creating a dark ceiling to match the dark platform.

Matt stood up slowly and was soon joined by WereGarurumon in the center of the platform.

"What just happened?" the blond asked as he regained control of his breathing.

"I have no idea, I'm just glad it's over." WereGarurumon replied, and received an agreeing nod from his partner.

Just as the two had regained composer, from their sudden attack of nature, something else erupted from the volcano. Gallons of hot magma shot out of the ground like fountains. 

The explosion forced Matt to his knees, as WereGarurumon bent around the crouching boy and wrapped his long muscular arms around his partner, preparing to protect the Child of Friendship from any enemy.

The lava continued to shoot up into the sky. The fire like liquid surround the platform, but no a single drop left the main entity, nor did any of the burning rock so much as touch the platform.

WereGarurumon seeing that there was no immediate danger released Matt from his hold and stood up.

Matt slowly got up and looked at the lava in amazement. It wasn't that he was shocked by the shooting lava; if there was one thing that being the candidate for Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers had given him it was expectancy. After everything that had happened to him over the last few days, it would take a lot more then a few fireworks to phase him. So it wasn't out of shock that he stared at the lava in amazement it was out of delight. Delight because the lava, in all it's many reds, yellows, and oranges, was beautiful. 

The lava reached up into the sky creating four colorful walls around the platform, and just as the two partners had grown at ease from the sudden eruption something new happened.

The lava shot up and merged creating a dome around the platform.

Inside the dome Matt and WereGarurumon stood in fear. It wasn't hot inside the dome; nor was difficult to breath, but the light from the lava had forced them to shield their eyes, since it seemed to increase once the dome had formed.

Then less then a minute after the dome was up the walls of the lava began to rise. The lava left the volcano completely and rose high until all that was left was a giant ball of burning liquid floating high above the volcano.

The ball slowly began to morph and take shape until at last a digimon was formed. The giant phoenix screech as though to warn the world that it had awakened; then its many red and yellow wings stretched out as the mega digimon twisted his neck from one side to another.

WereGarurumon looked up at the firebird in complete awe his mind was numb as he beheld the Digi-God of the South.

"Zhuqiaomon" Matt whispered to himself as he too stared at the floating digimon. 'His power is like fire, it's amazing, consuming. I hope he doesn't decided that we're his enemies, MetalGarurumon is strong, but definitely not strong enough to take on a Digi-God.' The teen thought to himself as he watched the bird digimon, whose attention was on anything but the digimon and human below.

Suddenly the phoenix snapped his head away from the air in front of him and turned his gaze to the boy below.

Matt felt uncomfortable under the stare of the Digi-God, and he felt even more uncomfortable when the giant mega swooped down and then stopped only a few yards away from him.

Matt turned so that he could look the mega fully in the eyes.

Zhuqiaomon's four red eyes never once left Matt's form. The crimson slits looked the teen over many times searching for something.

Matt didn't flinch or even blink under the Digi-God's stare, but he did feel uncomfortable. To him it felt like Zhuqiaomon was looking into his very soul, reading all his secrets like a book, and seeking out every flaw the boy possessed.

Matt held his ground but the contest of will was too much and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the Digi-God's powerful gaze upon him much longer. Luckily for him Zhuqiaomon must have found what he was looking for, because at that moment he blinked and his eyes softened a bit. They still held a commanding and threatening gleam, which drove all to respect him, but now they were not so sharp.

"Who are you and why have you come to my resting place?" the phoenix's voice was deep, but it held a hint of youth and choleric that made him sound like a warrior.

Matt took a deep breath as he took an almost timed step forward and looked the Digi-God in the eyes. 

"My name is Yamato Ishida; I am the Digidestined of Friendship, and my companions and I have sought you out at the commanded of Piedmon, the mega who was once Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." Matt stated, his voice displayed the confidence, which had left him the moment he locked eyes with the mega. 

Zhuqiaomon sneered at the boy before him and then replied. "Piedmon, such a fool, he lead my digimon to ruin with his pathetic quest for revenge." Great malice dripped from every word that came from the phoenix's beak.

Matt looked to the ground as he tried to decide how to reply to that statement, unfortunately he couldn't think of a way so he simply spoke what came to his mind. "When I first came to this world Piedmon was my enemy, his anger towards Azulongmon was the very cause of the Digidestined existence, we fought against him, and in the end we destroyed him. It was by our hands that the Nightmare Soldiers fell, not his. But none of that matters now, it is all in the past. Piedmon lead the Nightmare Soldiers as best as he could, and I think of him now not as my enemy, but as the greatest opponent I ever faced." Matt explained his feelings towards the once leader of the Nightmare Soldiers.

'Where are these words coming from?' the teen thought to himself. 'How could I have changed so much in only a few days?'

"Elegantly put." Zhuqiaomon spoke brining Matt out of his thoughts. 

Matt saw through the praise and knew that the mega was not impressed with him.

"You still need to answer my question; why have you come here? I know that it is not due to Piedmon's request." The Digi-God questioned once more; his voice held a dangerous tone to it, which ensured that he would receive an honest answer.

"I am here because I defeated Piedmon therefore making me the candidate to be the new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." Matt stated bluntly. His voice almost had a demanding tone, as he grew aggravated with the Digi-God's games.

Zhuqiaomon almost growled at the boy and his arrogance, but he contained his anger. "Piedmon may have been a fool, but at least he knew his place!" 

"Really was that before or after he sealed you and the other Digi-God's away?" Matt snapped back with a mocking smile.

"Yamato!" WereGarurumon hissed under his breath.

Matt ignored his partner and continued to glare at, in his opinion the far to arrogant, Digi-God.

Zhuqiaomon stared deep into Matt's angered glare. The flame in his own glare could not melt the rebellious wall around Matt's eyes of ice.

Suddenly the mega began to laugh; his laugh sounded mocking, but also pleased.

"Tell me boy why did you even come here when you truly do not wish to be the new ruler of the South?" the phoenix asked.

Matt's eyes widened in shock at Zhuqiaomon's accusation. "What makes you think I don't want to be the new Lord?" he shot back.

Zhuqiaomon's beak twisted into a grin. "Well why would a Digidestined want to be the ruler of a group of digimon as remorseless as the Nightmare Soldiers. After all they have been your enemies from the very beginning. Even now your _friends _are seeking you out. They are hunting for you with only one goal, and that is to destroy you, just as you destroyed Piedmon. What do you think they will do when they find out? Do you think they'll accept you back; that they'll just ignore the fact that you are the leader of their enemies. You won't go back to them as the same person; you will never truly be the Child of Friendship again." Zhuqiaomon's voice held no pity for the now very distressed teen.

Matt hung his head, his mind was whirling with fear, doubt, even self-hatred, as the mega digimon had done exactly what he planed. He brought up every little thought that Matt had subconsciously pushed away about being the new Lord. 

"I know." He finally whispered as he turned his eyes from the ground back to the mega digimon.

"What?" Zhuqiaomon asked in both bewilderment and shock.

Matt's face was calm, but streaks could be seen running down his pale checks where a few tears had fallen. "I know." he repeated himself this time he voice was stronger and louder. 

"I know I will not be the same person that I was, I'm not the same person now. We grow and learn everyday, and the things I know have caused me to grow in ways I never thought possible. Even if this knowledge is taken away from me it doesn't mean I will loose the lessons I have learned from it." Matt stated with confidence before he took a deep breath and continued. "And even if my friends never trust me again it won't change the way I feel about them. You can take away my crest and the title of Digidestined, but you can't take away my friendship. You can never hurt the love I have for my partner, my friends, and my family, because that kind of love can't be broken with words or force. And I will give that love to the digimon of the South, your people, if you let me." 

The teen now had no fear, no doubts; if this was going to be the end then he was at lest going to go out trying.

Zhuqiaomon stared at the teen with emotionless eyes. Silence filled the area as the Digi-God looked upon the Child of Friendship. Suddenly the cold emotionless state passed and respect and kindness enter the flaming crimson eyes of the Digi-God of the South.

"The Digi-Core shall be honored to meet you at last Child of Friendship. Go to your test with my blessings." Zhuqiaomon at last spoke.

Matt smiled glad to have Zhuqiaomon's favor, but soon his smile faded as a whirling flame surrounded him in a circle. At first all he could see was circling fire and then darkness and silence.

~*~*~

__

The darkness was intoxicating, I felt like I could remain in the blissful shadows forever. Here there was no pain, no fear, no regrets, only silence and darkness. The sounds of stillness were like ice; it makes no since, but there really is no other way to describe it. It is cool, no cold but absolutely intoxicating. I feel completely numb but more alive then ever before. I could lay in the cold, still, silence forever; with only the darkness as company. There could be no more pain, no more fear; just this absolutely beautiful solace.

"Matt" 

__

Just a whisper, that's all it was. No enough to brake the darkness, but more then enough to shatter the silence.

"Matt, please wake up. Matt" 

__

Not a whisper, but a plea, a loud painful plea. I don't want to leave my solace. 

"Matt please!" 

__

More then a plea. I just want to remain here, here in this abyss of peace, but that voice.

"Matt you just have to wake up." 

__

Tears, why is he crying? It can't be for me. Why is he crying?

"Matt please, don't leave me, you promised you'd never leave me!" 

__

Is he angry? I promised I would never leave him, but I didn't leave him. He's here, I'm here. We're both here, but he's in the light. He is in the warm, welcoming glow of light; I am here in my solace, in the blissful silence of darkness. I did leave him, I promised I won't, but I did. I have to go back, I have to go back to him.

"I think he's waking up!" 

__

Another voice, not his, but I know it too.

"Matt?"

__

Why do my eyes lids feel as heavy as led? Light! Why is it so bright here?

"TK?" _my voice is shaky, and the light hurts my eyes._

"Matt are you okay?"

__

I know that voice; it's my best friend, Tai. I wonder what he is doing here, better yet what is TK doing here? They shouldn't be here; I'm suppose to be alone. This is my test, I'm suppose to be alone.

"How do you feel?"

__

That's Mimi's voice, Mimi is here.

"My head hurts." _I heard my own voice choke out as my eyes finally began to adjust to the intense light._ "What are all of you doing here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing, we were really worried about you after you disappeared." 

__

Sora certainly sounded worried. But I don't understand, how long have I been gone.

"How long was I missing?" 

"Well you disappeared right after the Bakemon attacked. I'm don't know what happened to you, but I was waiting in your apartment with TK when all of the sudden this light surrounded us, and the next thing I knew we where here." 

__

Tai's explanation certainly is vague. I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me to my feet. Another dizzy spell, why am I so dizzy?

"You okay?" 

__

This time it was Joe. Tai steadied me on my feet as Joe laid his hand on my forehead, I guess he's checking to see if I have a fever.

"Well your tempter feels normal. When was the last time you ate something?" 

__

Always the good doctor. "Breakfast." _My voice had returned to its normal tone, that's a good sign._

"Breakfast!" _TK and Tai shouted, I never noticed how load those two were._

"Matt you promised you'd start eating more." 

__

My brother, he fusses over me far too much, but I think I love him ever bit as more for it. How'd I get so lucky as to have such a wonderful ray of hope?

"Well I would have, but as you can tell there really isn't any food _here_." _I'm not angry, but I can't let him get away without some kind of sarcastic remark._

__

Well my remark worked, it earned a smile from TK, which meant he was calming down a bit. I certainly am calm. I thought I was being sent to meet the Digi-Core.

"This certainly is an unusual place, it reminds me of when Apocylomon de-configured us and sent us into some strange world of data." 

__

I think Izzy is actually enjoying this. He's probably formulating theories right now. I have a theory of my own, Zhuqiaomon lied to me, and this whole thing was some kind of trap. How could I have been so foolish? Maybe it was all just a dream.

"I don't care how fascinating you think this place is, Izzy; just find us a way out."

Tai's reassumed his place as leader. 

"Well that is easier said then done, first off I think we should figure out how we got here; then maybe we can find a way back." 

__

Yeah that sounds like a plan.

"Well I got here the same way Tai and TK did." 

__

Nothing special happened to Yolie, or Davis, Ken and Cody.

"Same here." 

__

Mimi certainly is handling this well. 

"Okay so we basically all lit up like night-lights and viola we're here."

Tai certainly knows how to lighten the mood.

"What about you Matt?"

__

Leave it to TK to not over look me.

"Well I passed out on the way here, so I don't really remember what happened."

__

Okay so I lied.

"Well why don't we look around, maybe there's a portal out of here or something."

__

Davis may not always seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, but he certainly knows how to take care of business.

"Good idea let's go."

__

Nice to know Tai hasn't panicked. With his command I see the other head off in what I am calling east, although I really have no idea which way it is.

"Come on Matt!"

__

Wake up Matt, TK's calling you.

"Coming!"

Why do I have such a bad feel about this?

~*~*~

I'm really sorry that I had to end it there, I had originally planed to go much further with this chapter, but I just found out I may not have accesses to Microsoft word for a week, and since I didn't want you to have to wait another week for the next chapter I decided to make a slight cliffhanger and update it now. Wow that was one long sentence.

Anyway tell me what you thought of the last part, it's in Matt's POV for a reason, which will be revealed in the next chapter. So please tell me how I did on the whole chapter, but especially the end because I am trying to improve my writing in POV.

Okay I will really try to get the next chapter out soon, because I didn't get a chance to finish the last part. So please review, and again I apologize for the crummy ending.


	8. Battle with the Bitter Child

A/N: My typing program is back! I'm really glad to, and now all graduation part's and such are out of the way and I am ready for * starts crying * summer school. Yes I am taking summer school and I am working through the summer, but fear not I will not abandon this fic (well not so long as I keep getting reviews asking me to continue that is). Anyway I should warn you this chapter is very slow, and it might also get a little confusing so please keep in mind that I gave you a fair warning. Well on with the show.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon

~*~*~

"Okay we've went around this _place_ over ten times and I don't see an exit anywhere."

__

Now that was an exaggeration on Yolie's part, we've only been around this place exactly ten times. There's nothing but light, I feel like I'm in a hospital from all the white. Nothing but white and light, and really loud kids, not that I'm going to name any names.

"If only I had my laptop, then maybe we could use the digi-vices to get us out of here."

__

White and light, light and white; I feel like I'm going crazy! I feel so out of place amongst all of this white. It stretches out forever, and everything is so still. In the Digital World there was always some kind of breeze, but here there is nothing, no movement what so ever. I feel like I'm suffocating, but I'm still alive, I can still breathe perfectly. Why do I feel like I'm suffocating?

"I wish Gatomon was here."

__

Poor Kari, and the others they all seem so sad, but they're not sad; I'm so confused! This place has me really messed up.

"If I walk anymore I think my feet will fall off!" 

__

Now Mimi has collapsed to the ground; it looks like we're taking a brake.

__

We've been here for over half an hour just sitting. Every once in a while someone will stand stretches their legs and walk around a bit, then sit right back down. I guess I'm a little tense, not out of fear or anything, it's more aggravation. I really hate this place, it's hot, bright, white, open, still, and absolutely quiet. I still feel like I'm suffocating, but now I feel like I'm going mad as well.

"You know you've been really quiet Matt, is something bothering you?"

__

TK's bright blue eyes glow whenever he is worried or concerned about anyone. His eyes are so beautiful, everyone says that we share the same stunning eyes, but they don't know how wrong they are. my eyes are like ice, completely cold. A wall of darkness is over my eyes, a shadow that has been with me since I walked into that cursed cave so long ago, a shadow that still haunts me to this day. that's what my eyes are ice and shadow; not like his. His eyes are bright, beautiful. His eyes glow with hope and gleam with an innocents unlike any other; they are completely pure, something my contaminated eyes will never have.

"Matt?"

__

There I go spacing out again.

"I'm just tired TK, this place has really got me drained." 

__

He didn't believe me, not completely anyway, but still he nodded and turned back to the others who were now arguing.

"I'm doing the best I can Tai, it's not like I can just snap my fingers and boom there's a gate, so just have some patients."

__

I missed what was said before this, but the argument stopped there as Tai crossed his arm over his chest looking very aggravated. I have to admit when I first meet Tai I hated him. he seemed so arrogant, and if I didn't know him better I would have taken this little standoffish stunt as arrogance, but now I know what kind of weight he carries. He, as our leader, has taken it upon himself to watch out for each of us. That is a heavy burden, and I don't think anyone could have carried it as well as Taichi Kamiya.

"Maybe we could try holding out our digi-vices like we did after we defeated Myotismon. That opened a gate remember." 

__

Sora isn't very sure of her own idea, I think the tension has caused her to go into protective mode again. I guess everyone has reassumed their former position, everyone except me. What was my place before? I can't even remember, I argued with Tai and looked after TK. I can't do those things anymore, there's nothing to argue with Tai about, and TK can pretty much look out for himself. I have no place.

__

What was that?

"Did you guys hear that?"

__

Well judging by the funny looks I'm receiving I would have to assume they did not. 

Why is standing up so difficult? The others are still staring at me like I've just gone crazy, maybe I have.

"I heard someone crying." _My voice sounds so alien._

"Crying?" 

__

Tai flashed me a crooked grin, which clearly said 'you've lost it'.

"I'm telling you someone is crying, I can hear them."

__

I wasn't shouting, that surprised me. I guess even I realize how crazy I sound. They can't hear it because my scenes are keener; or maybe I am hallucinating.

"All right, then where is the crying coming from?"

__

Tai still thinks I'm hearing things, but at lest he's willing to keep an open mind, unlike the others who are giving me a sympathetic look.

"That way." _I whispered, I'm not sure why, but suddenly I wasn't in the mood to argue or raise my voice._

"All of you stay here and rest, I'll go check it out." _My announcement only earned me more sympathetic looks, but this time I'm ignoring them._

I'm running, not at inhuman speed like before, but I'm still running. They're following me; TK's leading them, followed by Tai as the other try to catch up.

Why is it that every time my feet hit the ground it shoots pain up my body and into my head, it's making me so dizzy, but I have to find the child. Yes it is a child, a boy to be more exact. His voice is growing more distinct with every step.

I'm still running, my head still hurts, and I'm still dizzy. My vision has blurred completely and now all I can see is spirals of light. I hate this white light, I hate this place!

"Hey I hear the kid too, we're getting close!"

__

Tai's shouting only added to the pain in my pounding head, but still I ignored it and kept running.

He's so close; he's so familiar. I can feel him; I can feel his pain all around me. The light is beginning to fade; the closer we get, the dark it grows. I wonder if the boy is crying because someone left him in the dark, or maybe it's that someone left him alone. Alone and in the dark I can relate to that.

Tai ran ahead of me into the shadows, but TK stayed behind. I'm so tired and my head hurts.

"There!" 

__

My vision back, Sora just pointed out the child. Where are we? We walked around this world ten times and we some how managed to miss the shadowed area enclosed on three sides by black walls. Something's not right here.

"You poor boy are you all right?" 

__

Kari's working her magic and trying to coax the boy to come out of the shadows.

A boy in the shadows, not abandon by light, but hiding from it. Knowing exactly the difference between good and evil and knowing that you fall somewhere in-between

"Come on kid we're not going to hurt you."

__

Cody's approach was a little more demanding.

It's so unreal. A sea of light stretches out behind us, the white, and the light goes on forever, yet this boy chooses to stay here. Three walls of pure darkness, nothing is closing him in, the area is small but the opening is bigger then any door. He just has to get out of the corner and he'll be in the light.

"Maybe someone can pick him up and carry him out."

__

Yolie may be loud but that girl sure is smart, at least she's keeping a cool head under this pressure.

"I wonder how the boy got here in the first place." 

__

Izzy and Tai were now working on that mystery.

I wonder why he's crying. I wonder why he won't let us see his face. He almost blends in with the shadows perfectly with his black pants and shirt. He's hiding in the corner; he doesn't won't anyone to see him cry. I know how that feels. He's huddled on the ground; his knees are pulled into his chest while his arms are wrapped tightly around his legs. Trying to be as small and unnoticeable as possible, while trying to hide his tears. Head bowed face hidden, why does something feel wrong here?

"Look, I'm not going to leave him here, so I'll carry him."

__

The others agree with Tai, but something isn't right. Can't they feel it?

"Don't worry kid I'm not going to hurt you."

Tai approached the corner like the boy was a little lost puppy dog. Why does this boy seem so familiar? All black, crying, alone in the shadows, spiky blond hair. This is impossible.

"Tai don't touch him!"

__

I'm was too late, the boy stood up and grabbed Tai, who was kneeling, by the neck. Tai's struggling, but the boy won't let go.

"Tai!" 

"Kari don't!"

TK got her just in time. The boy is still looking down; his eyes are glaring into Tai as he tightened his grip. I've got to do something, but I don't know what.

"Tai! Let him go kid!" 

__

No good Sora. My head hurts so bad, and the boy wont let go of Tai. He stopped struggling; he's growing limp. I've got to do something, but I can't move my legs. 

"Tai!"

__

Was that Davis, he just ran pass me. Tai, Davis and the boy landed in a tangled pile after Davis tackled the boy. The others have rushed pass me too and are now helping Tai and Davis up, I still can't move, my legs feel like led and my head feels like it's on fire.

"Tai are you all right?" 

"I'm fine Kari, but that kid isn't going to be."

__

The boy doesn't really seem fazed by Tai's threat. Oh great now he's back on his feet and I still can't see his face.

"Listen kid I was just trying to help, what's your problem anyway?"

__

The boy's laughing, it's almost bittersweet, his laugh. 

"Who are you?"

__

Finally I can move, just enough to hold TK away. I don't like the sound of this kids laugh, it's too bitter.

"You already know me little Takeru."

__

This can't be happening, please tell me this is just a dream.

"I don't know you, and how do you know my name?"

__

My head is spinning again, and numerous gasps are ringing in my ears. The sounds of shock and fear are so piercing, and the boy, I hate this boy! I hate him more then any evil I have ever faced. I didn't have to see his face to know him; I didn't have to see the anger, the fear, and the hatred burning in his eyes to know who he is. I already knew him, the little boy crying alone, alone and in the dark; I hate this boy, more then anything.

"Matt…" 

__

TK couldn't finish; the others were too in shock to say anything. I can feel my brother's lost eyes darting from me to the boy. He doesn't understand, not that I blame him, I don't even understand.

"Don't look at him Takeru, he doesn't have the answers, he never did."

__

He's mocking me. I can't tell if he's mocking me more with his words or with his actions. His eyes are red and puffy from crying, and he's using the back of his hands to wipe his already dried and flushed checks. I use to hate crying one of the reasons was that you could always tell when I did.

"Even if he could offer you an explanation he wouldn't. He would just hand you a bunch of lies, that's what I've always done. I lie to you, I keep secrets from you; secrets that are horrible."

__

Why won't he shut up! I don't remember speaking this much when I was seven. Seven that's how old he has to be, because that was the first year I hid when I cried.

"I've never lied to my brother! I don't know who you are, but …"

"You never lie to him?"

__

He cut me off and now he is mocking me again. It's so strange having a smaller version of myself jeering at my like I was a clown.

"What about when mommy and daddy were fighting all the time? I lied to him then, I remember. He ask if everything would be okay, I lied then; I told him everything would be fine."

"I remember that."

__

TK remembers, I thought he had forgotten about all those night, all of those nightmares.

"I lied and told him we'd always be together, I lied. I knew we wouldn't be together much longer, then daddy came and took me away. I hated him for taking me away from my little brother. I hate him now. They are so selfish! Both of them, I hate both of them!"

__

I did hate my parents. "But I don't hate them now." _I can't even get the words past a whisper._

"Yes I do! They tore us apart. She took my brother away, then they left me in the dark. I hate the dark I hate being alone, but they left me."

"But I'm not alone now."

"But I will be, I'll be alone again, just like when they left me, and it's all because I lied."

"I was just trying to protect them, if they knew the truth then it could put them in danger." 

__

Why won't he just leave me alone? I thought he was gone, after I left the cave, but he will never leave me. I will always be this little bitter boy.

"You were not, you were just trying to protect yourself!"

__

He's screaming, I didn't do that often when I was young, actually I only did it once. I yelled at my parents. They told me they were getting a divorce, they said they were doing it for the family. They said no family can live with fights all the time. I yelled at them then, I told them they weren't doing it for us, they were doing it for themselves.

"Matt, what is he talking about?"

__

TK is on the brink of tears. I'm crying, when did I start crying? 

"Tell him Matt, he deserves to know."

__

My other self is ordering me around now. Tell TK, what do I have to tell him. This whole thing was a trap right? That means I was never really the candidate to be the new Lord, so there's nothing to tell.

"It was a lie, a lie that could have gotten them all killed; even if it wasn't true."

__

I'm so dizzy; I can't stand up any longer. Two arms caught me and lowered me to the ground. TK caught me and now he was checking to see if I have a fever.

"Matt are you all right?"

__

He's so worried about me; I don't deserve his concern. I lied to him, how could I have lied to my brother.

"Matt?"

"TK, I'm so sorry."

__

That was all I could chock out.

"Sorry? For what?"

__

He doesn't understand, how can I tell him that I lied and that I was going to be a part of the very thing he hates most?

"TK I know who the new Lord is."

"What?" 

__

That was Tai. Now both TK and Tai are beginning down so they can hear me better. The others are now crowding around.

"It's me."

__

The sound of the others gasping sliced through my aching head.

"What are you talking about Matt?"

TK doesn't believe me, I don't think he can believe me.

"He means that he is the enemy you were looking for this entire time. He is the reason why your digimon my fight again. He is your enemy."

"No, I'm not their enemy! I could never do anything to hurt them."

__

I could never hurt them. They are my friends, my reason for living.

"But you are hurting them now, you lied to them."

__

I couldn't answer that. TK is staring at me, wide eyed and in complete disbelief. My eyes are blurring and I can feel both Tai and TK supporting my weight. 

"Matt? Matt please tell me that he's lying."

__

TK's crying, he knows. He doesn't want to believe but he knows.

"I am so sorry TK."

__

My voice is leaving me and I'm crying again.

"You lied to me? How could you have kept this from me?"

__

He deserves and answer, but I can't give him one, I wish I could, but I can't.

"Because he is weak. He lied because he was too weak to tell you the truth. He'll never change; he'll always be the same old jerk. That's all you are Matt, a jerk. You're never going to digivolve, you're never going to grow."

"Stop taunting me!"

__

Placing my hands over my ears doesn't seems help; his words, my words, are still echoing in my head. I'm never going to grow; I'm too weak.

"He lies to you too Tai."

__

No, please stop!

"Like when he says he's your friend. That's a lie, he was never your friend."

"That's not true, Tai is my friend!" 

__

All I can do is shout through my tears, but all my argument is gaining me is a twisted smile. I remember that smile; I use to give it to all the bullies I use to humiliate on the playground.

"Did you ever tell him why you attacked. Of course you didn't. He didn't attack you Tai because he was confused, or even because he was angry, he attacked you because he was jealous. He was jealous because you weren't confused and angry. You're so weak Yamato, you couldn't even control your jealousy."

"I'm sorry I know I made some mistakes, I can't change them, but I have tried to make up for them."

"But you can't, can you. Nothing you can do now can take away the pain you've caused people in the past. And even now you hurt them. You lied to them, and you were going to serve as their enemy."

__

Please make him stop. Am I really this boy, this weak bitter child? WereGarurumon and Ladydevimon believed in my, but I let them down. No matter what choice I make someone will be hurt. 

"But what if I told you that nothing has changed, what if I told you that there is still a chance for you to become the new Lord."

__

My head hurts even worse now, I guess I looked up too quickly, but I had to make sure he wasn't lying.

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple really, here you are given two paths. On one path there is your family, your friends, everything you have come to know and love. On the other path there is mystery, uncertainty, you don't know what could happen to you, or who you could become."

"Matt doesn't want to be the leader of those digimon."

__

TK almost hissed the words out. I don't know what to do. If I choose to be the new Lord then I could loose my brother's trust, but I promised Zhuqiaomon that if he'd give me the chance then I would save the Nightmare Soldiers.

"Well Matt? Have you made up your mind or are to too weak to decided."

"I'm not weak!"

__

I sound like a toddler, a weak helpless toddler.

"You are too weak to make sacrifices. In life you are given choices, choices mean you have to give something up. How much are you willing to give up to make a difference in both the digital world and your world?"

__

How much am I willing to give up? My brother and friends have fallen silent, I guess they're at a loss for words. I'm at a loss too. Am I really so weak that I can't make a sacrifice in order to make a difference. I knew they wouldn't trust me, that I would never be the same person, but now I really have to face the truth. After this there is no going back, I will never be the Child of Friendship again, I will be the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. 

Without thinking a pulled my brother into a tight hug. I can feel the bitter tears stinging my eyes. My head is still spinning, but my brother returning the hug makes the pain more bearable.

"TK I'm sorry I never told you."

"It's okay, but what are you going to do now?"

__

He pulled away from me, I hate the feeling of him leaving my arms, it's just another reminder of how much he has grown. He's so afraid, he knows what I'm going to say, but he doesn't want to accept it.

"TK, I want to be the new Lord, I want to. I want to take this risk, and I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure until this moment."

__

Now I'm standing up, my legs are shaky. I guess I've made my decision now, I can't look at my brother though. I only caught a glimpse of his eyes, eyes that screamed hurt and betrayal. 

"He was lying to you, I'm not your enemy, even if you hate me forever for choosing this path I will always love you."

Now I finally have the strength to look at him, he's hurt, but I think he understands. Who knows maybe in time my life as the Lord and my life as a Digidestined can learn to operate as one. 

The boy jumped when I jerked my head in his direction. I know my eyes most show how disgusted I am, I know because my eyes always show what I feel. The boy, my younger self, my greatest fear, is backing away slowly. He knows I have him beat. I've made my decision; I've faced the one thing that could have kept me from this path, myself.

"I thought I was rid of you once, but it seems that you survived. This time I won't make the same mistakes, this time I won't hold on to my bitterness. I have no regrets, because all you can do with regrets is dwell on them. You can't use them in life except to make you bitter and angry. I won't let that happen this time. I will be the new Lord; I won't be this little helpless boy crying in the corner any longer. Now leave, you are not a part of me anymore."

At my command the boy began to fade, everything's beginning to fade including my friends. I wanted to grab my brother before he left me, but my vision began to blur once more. My body feels like it's on fire. It hurts so badly, I feel like I'm being split in two, everything is spinning. The darkness and light have become one. I just want to sleep. I want to close my eyes and returning to the intoxicating darkness. I want to return to my solace.

~*~*~

The sound of soft humming filled Matt's ears, relaxing him and giving him a comfort he had not felt since he was in his mother's arms. Slowly the blond forced his tiered eyelids open, immediately the dim light of the room flooded his vision forcing him to shut his confused eyes once more. This time he raised his arm and draped his sweaty palm over his face, blocking out most of the light as he once again opened his eyes. Slowly the crystal orbs adjusted to the dimly lit room and Matt was able to remove his palm inviting the light and atmosphere of the small room into his line of sight.

"It's good to see you are finally awake."

The voice was soft and famine, but the words match the tone of the hum, and the voice sounded just as enchanting when speaking. 

Matt slowly tore his eyes away from the dark blue ceiling and with much effort he turned his head in the direction of the voice. 

The blonde's eyes widen slightly at the sight before him. There sitting lazily on a large chair of purple velvet and mahogany wood, sat a young woman. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, despite the fact that her deep voice sounded much older. The young woman had long very light silver hair that flowed in elegant ribbons down her nicely framed body. The silver locks curled perfectly at the tips, which reached to the end of her back. Her skin was like porcelain, pale and perfectly smooth. Her dress was medieval in style with dark blue, the color of a clear midnight sky, velvet fabric. But all this failed in comparison to her eyes. Her eyes were a very light blue, with rings of white and a beautiful tent of purple. The mystical orbs held wisdom and kindness in their depths and they looked upon the boy with respect and love.

The woman's violet lips curved in a small smile as Matt finished looking her over. He didn't seem so much entranced by her beauty as he was intrigued by her purpose. After he had determined that she was not an enemy he decided to speak.

"Who are you?"

The teen's voice was a fragile whisper, he wasn't afraid, but his ordeal in the white room, as he had affectingly grown to call it, left him exhausted and confused.

The woman's smile grew larger at the question and she slowly stood from her seat on the large chair. Her mystical eyes locked with Matt's mesmerizing stare. Slowly she approached the soft bed that the teen laid upon. Once she reached the bedside she lazily lowered herself to her knees and with an almost uncertain action she lifted her hand and gentle stroked Matt's check. Her long elegant finger brushed across Matt's warm check once before the woman pulled away.

"Why did you do that?" Matt asked softly, he couldn't understand this woman's actions, and her being so close was beginning to frighten him.

"I had to make sure you were real." The woman replied almost plaintively as she pulled back a little allowing Matt his space.

"Where was I? Was that all just a dream?" the blond asked, not certain if he wanted it to be a dream or not.

"Yes." 

Came the simple reply, Matt was relived but he was also distressed. With a heavy groan he feel back onto the soft feather pillows he had just risen from. Then he grabbed the beautifully woven blanket, that draped over his body covering him up to his chest, and flung them over his head.

The woman stood, very confused but this sudden action.

"What are you doing?" she asked as her face twisted into a smirk.

"I'm going back to sleep, after the night I just had I think I've earned it." came the muffled reply.

The woman laughed lightly; very amused by the answer she received. Quietly she tiptoed to the bedside once more and yanked the covers off a very annoyed Matt. Then she placed her hands on her hips as her face formed a mock frown.

"Now up, there is not time for rest, a leader most think of his peoples needs before his own." The woman lectured with a smile.

"Leader?" Matt spluttered out in confusion as he swung his leg over the bedside and looked at the woman questionably.

The silver hair maiden only smile and nodded her head showing the blond that he had heard correctly.

Matt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His knuckles turned a deathly shade of white matching the white bed sheets, that he was gripping tightly. "The dream was the test." He spoke more to himself then the woman, as realization of what his nightmare was for hit.

Slowly the teen opened his eyes, this time the blue orbs had changed from a light crystal to a darker shade of blue. Once he lifted his head from the polished wooden floor that his sweaty feet rested upon, and shifted his eyes to the lady, who had returned to her chair, he received a confirming nod. Finally he shook his head as confusion took over.

"And that was the best you could come up with?" he asked skeptically with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The woman leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs before relaxing completely. Slowly a knowing smile pulled at her lips as she replied. "Yes"

A scowl crossed over Matt's face at the simple answer. 'A stupid dream was my final test, who comes up with this stuff?'

The woman smiled even more knowing that the teen's thoughts were of sarcastic remarks and sadistic ideas.

"It wasn't about the dream Yamato." She cut through the blonde's thoughts as she addressed his concerns. "Inside us all is a monster, or at least in our eyes it is a monster. Everyone has a part of themselves they don't like, some have a part of themselves they loath, this part is our greatest weakness."

Matt looked at the woman with focused eyes. "You're the Digi-Core." 

He had suspected from the beginning, but now he was certain that this enchanting woman was the most powerful being in the Digital World.

"Yes." The Digi-Core smiled like a mother smiling at her child who had just taken his first steps. "But you may call me Cayla." 

"Why?" the teen asked as he tried to fit the name to something he might have heard on earth.

"I like that name." came the simple reply.

Matt nodded and gave up he quest to match the name. "What happens now?"

"Don't you have some questions?" Cayla asked as she leaned forward in her chair so that she could better hear the whispering teen.

Matt thought for a moment he had so many questions, but there was one that seemed to rise above the rest. 

"Why me?"

Cayla leaned back in her chair her face grew very serious as she thought of the best way to explain the answer.

Matt soon grew tried of waiting for a reply. He fidgeted slightly then pushed himself further onto the bed. Slowly he adjusted himself so that he was comfortable then with a soft sigh he leaned his head against the rooms walls covered in dark blue and deep purple wallpaper. 

"Choosing a candidate is a very difficult processes. Originally you were only one of thousands of possible choices. The list of possible Lords were filled with both digimon and humans that had the qualities we sought in a leader. Slowly as time went on the list would get smaller until soon there was only a hand full of candidates left. When Piedmon died he used his last bit of power to decided between the remaining candidates, and you were the one he felt was most qualified for the position." Cayla finished explaining the basic process and then fell silent.

Matt looked at his pale hands; they were shaking from stress and hunger. "You talk about this like it's some management position in a franchise." The blonde's voice was dazed with worn emotions.

"I wanted to keep the explanation as simple as possible. That is basically how the process works, there is certainly more to it, but that is the best way of putting it." 

The teen nodded showing that he understood. "But you still didn't answer my question. Why did you choose me?" 

Cayla closed her eyes, her long dark eyelashes laid softly as she took a deep, after she had worked out exactly what she was going to say she opened her eyes once more and looked at the urging stare of the blond across from her. 

"From the beginning we new you were different. When Gennia first processed the original eight's information we believed that it was the innocents of a child that enable a digimon to digivolve and grow stronger, but after going over your data we found that you were different." Cayla paused for a moment allowing all she had said to sink in.

Matt only stared at the woman closer as he raised an eyebrow to show his confusion.

"The other seven were the same, they were completely innocent, but you were different, you had no innocence left. Your parent's relationship and the reality that you would soon loose your brother forced you to see the world as it is. Most children don't see the bad in the world, and most children don't really see past themselves and the moment, they just can't. It's not selfishness it's how it should be, you only get a few precious moments of sunlight and rainbows then it's gone. You never really got that. You gave everything up for your brother, you abandoned your innocence so that you could be strong for him."

Cayla stopped once again as she noticed the perplexed look on Matt's face.

"So the others were innocent, that was what they had in common, but I wasn't like them. So why did you choose me to be a Digidestined?" he asked as he tried to understand this new puzzle.

"While the others were innocent we found something in you that they did not posses, purity and strength. The other were still to young to realize how their decision effected other people, but you knew that every bad choice you made hurt those around you. You would go out of your way to do the right thing."

Matt cast his eyes back to his hands as the Digi-Core continued.

"When they first analyzed your data they were not going to let you become a Digidestined, they felt that your view points on the world were too real and that without the faith of a child you could never get your digimon to digivolve."

This caused Matt to come back to life. "So what happened?" 

"I usually don't interfere with Azulongmon and his operations but when I saw your information I grew very interested in you. The outcome of the war between all of you and Piedmon didn't really interest me, but I wanted the children to survive their journey here, even if they didn't seceded in liberating the world from the Dark Masters. That is where you come in. your information showed that you were a very protective person, if the others were to survive they would need someone who could be more concerned with life rather then wining the battle."

Matt shook his head as everything began to process. "I guess this makes since, I never really cared about beating the enemy, in my opinion war was simply apart of every world, and I didn't see why we needed to change the way this world functioned."

"That is why you were so confused, and it was my fault. I knew it would be difficult for you to function as though you were like the others, but each of you had your own purpose so I thought you would eventually adapted." Cayla explained sadly. "But you served your purpose, you protected the others until they grew strong enough to watch out for themselves."

"Wait a second, were you the one that entered Kari's body and explained our purpose to us?" the volume of Matt's voice raised as he asked his question.

Cayla smiled and nodded. "You were confused, and Gennia wanted to send you back to the real world, but I insisted that he offered me the chance to help you. He didn't know that I was the Digi-Core, I over saw his project in a different form, no one knew that I was the Digi-Core, and I still prefer that it remain that way."

"So you helped ease some of my doubts." Matt stated almost to himself as he processed all the new information he was receiving. "This explains how I became a Digidestined, but it doesn't explain how I became the candidate." 

Cayla smiled at Matt's statement. "You are right. Now where to begin, let's see, you first entered the list when Garurumon digivolved into WereGarurumon. You see all of the Digidestined's partners were created with a little piece of the partner. Generally you don't see the piece of the Digidestined until the digimon reaches the ultimate level, because that is the first level which requires the use of your crest. When Garurumon became WereGarurumon, a new Nightmare Soldier was born. No digimon born outside of the South could be traced back to the Nightmare Soldiers, but your partner was not only a true Nightmare Soldier, but he was also a very powerful one."

"So I was put on the list the first time I used my crest." Matt summarized the Digi-Core's explanation and went silent once more.

"Yes, but it wasn't until the final battle that you reach the top of the list. You were able you use your crest to bring your leader and his digimon partner back from the brink of death. It was at that battle that you were selected as the new candidate." 

'I became a Digidestined so that I could watch over the others. I had the power to create a Nightmare Soldier, and I learned how to use my crest.' 

"Does this mean that the others can use their crest in the same way?" 

Cayla shook her head sadly. "You were chosen for a different reason then the others, the Child of Light possesses a powerful crest, this enables her to use unusual powers, and the others have the ability to tap into more power from their crest, but not all of your strength come from your crest. Most of your power is simply from your own abilities, you just use your crest to channel the power." 

"This makes no sense!" Matt exclaimed in aggravation.

Cayla smirked at the confused teen. "Let me paraphrase it. Gennia chose your seven friends to come save the Digital World from the Dark Masters. I, in the form of a digital entity, selected you to accompany your friends here so that you could protect them and provide a level head under pressure. When your digimon partner, who was created from a part of you, digivolved into a Nightmare Soldier using your crest, you were put on the list of candidates to be come the Lord of the Nightmare soldiers, should anything happen to Piedmon. When you learned how to use your crest's power you were bumped to the top of the list. And finally when you and your friends destroyed Piedmon you were elected the new Lord."

"You handle things very strangely here." Matt stated in exhaustion.

"Well do you understand now?" Cayla asked as she leaned back in her chair and locked eyes with the blond teen.

Matt's face was completely expressionless as he stared back at the digital woman, finally he seemed to make his decision and with a baffled smirk he shook his head no.

Cayla's face dropped as she raised her hand and rubbed the side of her head as though she had a migraine. "Well maybe it's best that you don't understand. All you need to know is that you have past all your test and that if you are still willing I will announce you to Zhuqiaomon as the new Lord." 

Matt nodded slowly, he did understand some of Cayla's explanation, but he could tell that she was leaving things out and he had hoped that if he questioned her enough that he would receive an uncut answer. Now he saw that he was going to get anymore more information on the function of the Digital World then he already has.

"I have another question." He finally announced once he decided to drop his other concerns.

The woman removed her hand from her face as she looked back at the teen, who now had a very straight face.

"Why do I have so much knowledge of the Digital World and its history? It would make sense to equipped me with this information after I became the Lord, but why give it to me when I was merely a candidate." 

"A good question indeed. The law of the Digital World states that leadership can be forced unto no one. The candidate to be the leader in any society of the Digital World must be given a fair chance to deny the position in question, and how can a fair chance be provided if they are not aware of the facts and possibilities that could effect their lives once they accept the position as leader." Cayla smiled as her mock stress vanished. She knew that the Child of Friendship would not accept half of the story, but in order to explain in full of how he became the new Lord would be to give up information about the Digital World that no free mortal was allowed to posses.

Matt nodded showing that he understood. "How strong am I?" he asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice as he looked at the Digi-Core.

"As strong as you want to be." Cayla explained jeering slightly at Matt's tone. 

Matt only scowled at the answer as he glared at the woman across from him.

"When taping into your full power you have the strength of a mega." Cayla finally explained once she realized that the teen was not going to accept the inefficient answer. "But you still have difficulty using your full strength and right now it takes you awhile to recover from battles. In time you will fight at a higher level of power then Piedmon and you will regenerate as quickly as a mega digimon."

Matt looked at Cayla in shock and fear. "Stronger then Piedmon," he whispered in awe and dread.

The digital woman could only raise and eyebrow at the teen's distress. "You sound frightened." She stated in a kind whisper.

"What if I become like him…" Matt was lost in his own world of doubt and fear.

Cayla's face softened with compassion for the teen. "Piedmon wasn't really as evil as you may think Yamato." She coaxed with an almost mournful look. "In your world you called them conquerors. Do you look back at leaders like Alexander the Great and think of him as a tyrant." 

"Alexander the Great and Piedmon handled things a little differently. Alexander wanted to conquer the world, Piedmon wanted to destroy it." Matt stated bitterly.

"By the time you arrived yes." The digital woman agreed. "When Piedmon first attacked the west his only intention was an honorable battle. A war of skill, the west digimon were more then capable of handling the attacks, and most of them wanted to. The west digimon and the south digimon are creatures of battle; it was inevitable that one of them would grow restless. The conquest of the west was going very well for the Nightmare Soldiers, but the war was far from won. Azulongmon felt that it was his responsibility to bring peace back to the Digital World, since it became obvious that Zhuqiaomon had no intentions of ordering an end to the war."

Matt listened to the story with little interest, he already knew the history of the Digital World, and the story behind each battle that took place. "So Azlonmon destroyed the Nightmare Soldiers mercilessly therefor driving Piedmon to seek revenge." The teen finished the tale and then grew silent once more.

"Azulongmon did what he thought was right, but sometimes what is right isn't always best. Every world has wars; the Digital World is not and can not be an exception. Part of this world's development came from the information on the Internet, there is constantly war, terrorism, and death in your world; and our world is made from parts of your own." Cayla explained as she watched the teen across from her closely.

Matt took in every word that the Digi-Core spoke and then tried to piece all the information together until another question formed. "I thought you created the Digital World." 

Matt's bewildered look and confused accusation cause a smile to spread on Cayla's face. "I'm not sure who or what created the Digital world. The world already existed before your world had computers and such, but it wasn't until your world developed networks that our own world began to evolve. Originally the world was shapeless; all beings were like myself, simple entities with no real reality. It wasn't until your world created networks that everything began to change. The networks somehow got crossed with our own world and the data passing through the channels began to build up in this world until a shape was formed. At first the world was primitive and there were no living creature besides the entities, but as your technology grew more advanced and your networks grew more complicated our world grew more real. Soon an entire world was formed, with data in forms of organic life like grass, water and other natural things."

Cayla paused for a moment to take a breath and decide how to continue from where she left off. "For a long time nothing happened, the world simply grew more advanced, more like earth. But soon data began to take another form. The most complex forms of data compressed themselves until they formed a shape, and thus the first digi-eggs were made. The original digi-eggs were not like the ones in Primary Village or Forbidden Valley, these digi-eggs were solid gold, silver, and bronze. When the digi-eggs hatched we entities were not sure what to expect and we certainly weren't prepared for what we received. The digi-eggs hatched and colorful data streams flew out. The data streams then began to take form until these beautiful creatures were formed."

Cayla stopped once again and smirk at the teen, who now seemed very interested in her story. 

"The creatures resembled humans except there were some key differences. They were tall, most with long hair in light colors like silver, gold, and white. All of them had glorious wings, some had two wings, and some had as many as eight. Their wings were also in many colors, some gold some bronze some soft white and other enchanting silver. Some wore armor and others wore flowing cloths. The one article of clothing that they did have in common were mask. Each of them wore mask of silver and gold over their eyes."

"They were enchanting beings, and at first the entities were too shy to approach them, so they elected me to be the first to introduce our kind to theirs. By the time I finally revealed myself to the being they had already begun to build a society. They elected a leader and began building a kingdom on the island where they were born. They had a perfect utopian society built, everything was peaceful and the beings were wise and carefree."

Matt sighed knowingly. "But all of that changed" he stated what he was sure was coming.

"Yes, but not at first." Cayla went on her eyes growing distant as she relived the past. "I introduced my kind to theirs, they called themselves digimon. And so for centuries the angel digimon and the entities lived in peace, but nothing as wonderful as those times could last. The evil in your world was entering the digital world. Soon new digimon were born digimon with the will to do evil and good. The angel digimon didn't have a classification, but the new digimon were separated into three types, data, virus and vaccine. The angel digimon remained with these digimon for eons, they watched as we did. They watched the digimon grow in numbers, build societies and eventually begin wars."

"The angel digimon couldn't stand the petty wars that began amongst the other digimon so they left all societies behind, and to this day we do not know where they went. For a while we entities simply watched as our world changed, but soon the wars grew to be too much. I could no longer stand to see such crud battles."

"So that is why you created the four Digi-Gods." Matt stated coming more to life now that the digital woman had reached a part of the digital timeline that he knew.

"Yes, despite opinions to the contrary I did not create the other digimon, only the Digi-Gods. I instilled in them the ability to lead with wisdom, and the will to allow the world to evolve as it may. Of course you know what happens after that." Cayla stated with a smile as she at last brought her small tale to an end.

Silence filled the small room. Cayla leaned back in her chair with her eyes locked on the woven rug laid upon the room's polished wooden floor. 

Matt was silent as well; he allowed the story to replay in his mind many times until he felt he was familiar enough to extend his attention to something else. With a deep breath Matt lifted his hand and ran his long finger through he blond hair.

"Do you have anymore questions?" Cayla asked once she grew tired of the silence.

"Just one." 

"Well what is it?" she asked calmly.

Matt did not answer right away; he closed his eyes as he thought carefully about what he wanted to ask. 

"Why did you really create the Nightmare Soldiers?" the blond finally asked once he was certain of his question.

Cayla's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the question then just as quickly as her expression changed it returned to its calm stare. "An unusual question, not even Piedmon asked something so absurd." 

Cayla's mirth didn't dissolve Matt's set face. He was sure of his question and had every intention of receiving some sort of answer.

"If you really needed an army it would have made more scenes to create drones, not willful warriors like the Nightmare Soldiers." The teen stated as he began to stare down the uncertain woman.

Cayla sighed and then reluctantly replied. "Balance." She stated simply as she stood from her large chair. "If light is to prosper darkness must exists, I knew that the Digital World would face war and tragedy, that is a factor in all world. All I care is about harmony, without it the digital world can not exists." 

Matt pushed himself back to the edge of the bed and lazily leaned his elbows on his knees. He then rested his chin in his hands as he looked up at the standing woman with a curious glance.

"The Nightmare Soldiers are perfect. They are the only digimon with a perfect balance of light and darkness. I didn't really create them, I took the data necessary to make harmony and placed it together, that is what made the Nightmare Soldiers." Cayla explained hoping to settle the teen's curiosity.

"So what you are saying is that they are neither evil nor good." Matt expressed as he sat up straight.

Cayla nodded her head. "Light, darkness, none of that is important to me, only life is important, but enough of this, I'm sure you understand enough to handle the position as leader. However there are a few things you should know, the government of the south is very strict. First you must choose generals, and make sure they are digimon you can trust, then build your rein from there. Of course this is only if you still wish to take the position." Cayla spoke with an urge look in her eyes.

Matt was silent; he thought of everything which had been revealed to him, and every danger that this path in life would come with.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence

Two roads diverged in a wood

And I took the one less traveled by

And that has made all the difference." 

Matt quoted more to himself then to Cayla.

The digital woman raised an eyebrow at the alien words.

Matt noticed the Digi-Core's confusion and smiled slightly. "Robert Frost" he explained as he stood from the bed. To his surprise he was not dizzy from the sudden movement nor did his head hurt any longer. 

"There is so much at stake here, and the more I think of what I could loose the more afraid I grow. You said I defeated the worse part of myself, that little bitter boy, if that is so then why am I still so reluctant to do what I want to do?" 

"Because you care, you have something to loose that is what shall make you appreciate your choice more. Piedmon did not have the burden you will bare, you will not only have to lead, but you will have to pick up the pieces he left behind."

Matt nodded, as his voice grew grave. 'And I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. I suppose I'll never know if this is wrong or not if I never try.' 

"Digi-Core, I accept this position of leadership in which you have chosen me for. I also accept the burdens that come with it." Matt announced with a decided stare.

Cayla clapped her hands together excitingly as a bright smile formed on her lips. "I know that you will make a difference Yamato, I am glad you have agreed to help us with the battle for life."

Matt smile, his decision was made at last. There was no longer a need for regrets or fear of the future. 'Since I can not go back on what I have decided I will simply have to go forward.'

"Now I will send you back to where your partner waits, remember Yamato, I will not be there to help you. You are the Lord, you and you alone shall rule."

Matt nodded showing that he understood as a bright light filled the room. Light and then darkness once more.

~*~*~ 

Swirls of blue and green flashed behind Matt's closed eyelids. He shivered as a soft breeze caressed his resting body, tugging at he clothes and playing with his golden hair. There was a chill in the air and the ground he laid upon was smooth and cold. The fresh air filled his nostrils as he inhaled the clean free wind. He wanted to simply lay and enjoy the cool, his subconscious battle left him sweaty and the talk with the Digi-Core didn't erase the physical effects of the battle that had taken place on this smooth platform. The wind and the chill were soothing; they relaxed his tense muscles and granted him peace and comfort.

"Do you think he's dead?" a soft famine voice broke through the silence which Matt had grown to love.

"He's breathing." A deep and almost gruff voice replied with annoyance.

Matt took another deep breath preparing himself for the blinding light that would certainly invaded his scenes the moment he opened his eyes. Slowly he cracked his eyes opened, but to his surprise and relief he was welcomed by a night sky and a full moon.

"He's waking up!" the deep voice exclaimed in excitement.

"I can see that." The famine voice spoke with sarcasm.

"Can the two of you stop arguing for two seconds?" a new voice spoke, this voice was soft and pleasant.

"No!" came the unanimous reply from the famine and the deep voice.

Matt slowly blinked and with some reluctance pulled his crystal eyes away from the silver orb hanging high in the sky. He pushed himself up allowing two strong arms to support some of his weight.

After muttering a soft thank you to the two digimon holding him up he shook his head to clear his mind and then turned his focus to the three digimon looking at him with concern. Stunning yellow eyes, haunting red eyes, and gentle blue eyes, all looked at the teen with love and devotion.

Matt smiled as his partner silently helped him to his feet.

"I am so glad that all of you are all right." The blond finally spoke as he looked over the three digimon standing near by.

"Of course we are fine, I was more concerned about you. What happened?" WereGarurumon questioned as he began to calm down from the panicked state that had consumed him the moment his partner vanished.

"He has passed the final test, therefor proving that he is the true Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." 

The three digimon and one human looked up to see Zhuqiaomon floating amongst a red field of energy. The fourth Digi-God held his head high in pride as he looked upon the new ruler of his land.

"Yamato Ishida, following the customs of the digital world I shall announce you as the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." Zhuqiaomon spoke, as he remained motionless in the sky.

Matt nodded solemnly and then turned back to the three digimon.

"Ladydevimon, how did you brake free from the stone?" he asked as he looked at the fallen angel in relief.

WereGarurumon stepped forward and prepared to relay the events which took place in Matt's absences. 

"Shortly after you vanished Sorcerymon appeared. Apparently the wizard was curious on how the test was going, but whatever the reason was for his arrival I am grateful. He was able to calm me down and then he went to Ladydevimon and using some short of potion he was able to melt away the stone. First the rock began to go soft until it turned back to blood and flowed off of her completely." WereGarurumon explained with a smile.

Matt smiled back at his partner then turned his attention to the smallest of the digimon who was trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. "Thank you." Matt spoke softly to the timid digimon showing his gratitude.

"I really didn't do much." Sorcerymon replied as he held his head low in homage.

"You saved my life, you took care of my partner, and you saved the life of one of my dearest friends, that's not nothing." Matt argued back. "I owe you my life Sorcerymon, I will always be in your debt." Matt stated.

Sorcerymon's eyes brightened as he realized that Matt was showing him acceptance. Wizard type digimon were often feared and avoided due to their power over minds, but Matt, WereGarurumon, and Ladydevimon respected and enjoyed the mysterious digimon's presence greatly.

"Zhuqiaomon." Matt spoke as he bowed to show his respect to his Digi-God. "I have decided who the first of my generals will be." The blond announced as he pulled back up and looked at the Digi-God with a commanding gleam in his cerulean eyes.

Zhuqiaomon nodded his head asking the teen to continue. 

"I will make as my second in command my partner, WereGarurumon. There is no one I trust more. And Ladydevimon shall serve as head of my armies. And my chef political advisor will be Sorcerymon." Matt announced his voice changing from his gentle tone to the commanding voice of the leader he was.

WereGarurumon and Ladydevimon both smile pleased that they would be serving close to their Lord. Sorcerymon seemed shocked by the announcement but he too was pleased. His position would offer him a chance to help bring peace and nobility to the South.

Zhuqiaomon nodded once more showing that he agreed with Matt decisions. "And now Lord Yamato I will announce you to the South and then to the world." Zhuqiaomon exclaimed, despite his calm exterior the phoenix digimon was very excited that a new Lord as worthy as Matt would be ruling his people.

"Announce me to the South yes, but not to the world, not yet." Matt replied as he felt his three new generals come to stand behind him.

"What do you mean?" the Digi-God asked his deep and powerful voice echoing over the volcano.

Matt took a deep breath to clear him mind then he spoke what he felt. "Deamon already knows who I am, he has already attack the real world in search of me. I would prefer that he be the only enemy I focus on right now. Gennia will not accept me, even though I am a Digidestined, I would rather wait till the South is rebuilt and the Nightmare Soldiers are a world power once more before the rest of the world knows. I'm sure our enemies would take this time to attack and possibly destroy us. We are unorganized and unprepared for an attack." Matt explained. 

All that he said was true, if the outside world knew that a new Lord had been chosen then they would attack now while his rein was still weak, but that was not the only reason. He wanted to be able to tell the Digidestined in his own way and in his own time.

"A wise decision." Zhuqiaomon agreed after he thought the possibilities over. "Build and empire Yamato, one that can demand respect, one that will unsure virtue and one that the Digi-core will be proud of. Once you have secured your rein then you will be announced to the world, but until then we must still bring you before your people."

"Yes I will go before them and announce our first agenda." Matt stated as a smile spread upon his face.

"What is our first agenda?" Ladydevimon asked with a hint of glee in her voice. 

"To build and empire of course." Matt replied to the excited demon.

"And what is our second?" Sorcerymon questioned, as he too grew excited about the movement.

Matt's face grew very serious as he answer. 

"Our second agenda will be Deamon." 

~*~*~

Screams of agony filled the halls of the decaying palace. The moans and yells of pain echoed off the cracked walls filling the entire castle with the sounds of suffering. Lighting flashed from the coal black storm clouds, which had formed above the dark palace, thunder drained out the screams for a moment then vanished.

Horrid creatures ran about the palace's halls, ducking low to keep warm from the piercing wind that howled through the cracks of the broken walls. The digimon rushed throughout the corridors and rooms seeking to do their master's biding and trying to remain as small and unnoticeable as possible.

In the center of the castle, lining in arms in the great courtroom, were armies of forsaken beast ready to do as their master commanded. Sitting at the head of the room on a cracked and crumbling throne was Deamon master of the World of Darkness. His cold eyes sent chills down his servants backs as he stared straight ahead lost in his own twisted thoughts.

The demon lord was enraged and death could be felt throughout the room. The deaths of several scouts. The poor creatures were forced to inform their short-tempered master of the defeat of Devimon and the triumph of the Digidestined of Friendship. These humble scouts were forced to pay the price of Devimon's failure as their master released all of his anger and hatred upon the simple creatures.

Now Deamon's greatest armies stood at attention waiting orders from their cruel master. The demons and ghost waited silently each hoping that the orders would be execution for all their fellow digimon who stooped so low as to serve a human.

At last the demon lord stood from his cured throne and turned his attention to his generals who kneeled in fear at their master's feet.

"My loyal generals today shall mark a time in history, for today shall be the begging of the end for all who oppose the powers of darkness." the Dark Area digimon chanted, his deep and cynical voice rang out bring all attention to his deranged speech.

"First we shall destroy this boy who dares to call himself the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, then the rest of the world shall see my power." 

"Should I have our troops attack the southern lands my Master?" a bowing Soulmon dared to ask. His voice shacked with fear as his master's cold eyes fell upon him.

Deamon growled in irritation, then he held up his clawed hand covered by his priest like robe. A ball of dark energy formed in his clawed hand and with no effort the energy went flying towards the unsuspecting Soulmon.

The ghost digimon screamed in horror as the energy sent waves of pain through his data, and then he went silent as the white cloth that was his form began to brake into tiny particles of data. Seconds later nothing remained of the poor champion.

Deamon shifted his stare from where the Soulmon once stood and turned it back to his awaiting generals.

All the digimon present coward at their master's feet, each trying to remain small, while attempting to look humble. The ghost digimon silently mourned for the loss of their companion while the fallen angel digimon smile pleased by the fresh feeling of death.

"This boy is aware that I know of him." Deamon began once more, his voice remained calm and emotionless as he addressed his servants. "The Nightmare Soldiers will do everything in their power to protect their _Lord _and Zhuqiaomon will also support this child. But once the boy is gone I shall be the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." The demon announced with a hint of glee and malice in his hallow voice.

His armies cheered as bloodlust entered their eyes. The thrill of hunting and killing was like caffeine, fueling their adrenaline.

"But first I must get rid of the boy." Demon spoke, silencing his demented troops.

"This child is like an insect, if you wish to kill the queen, you do not attack the beehive. Instead I will attack this insect where it will hurt the most." Deamon's words dripped with pleasure at his own twisted thoughts.

"Yes I will attack the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers where it will do the most damage, earth."

~*~*~

I know what you are thinking, "What was she own when she came up with the test, and what does catiwompous mean. Well the answers are I was on pure caffeine (espresso to be more précis) and I have no idea what catiwompous means, if you know please tell me.

Anyway I hope this chapter cleared up some confusion, if you still have a question about anything having to do with this fic then please ask in a review and I will try to answer it in future chapters. Also I took some of the ideas from the third season, the digital entities are suppose to be like the digi-gnomes. Also I originally had a different idea for the test, but somehow it got changed into Matt defeating his _inner-child_ so to speak.

Last thing I promise, if you were wondering when the others are going to finally find out that Matt is the Lord, don't worry it will happen. I have a special idea for that; it was actually the idea that helped put most of the story together. Well I'm done now please review, tell me what you thought about this chapter.


	9. Announcements meet with hatred

A/N: FFN is back and so am I! That sounded way too cheerful. Anyway here is the latest installment in the longest thing I have ever written in my life, The Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. * Crowds cheer and worship my creation * or maybe that's just in my mind.

**__**

Anyway please read the author note at the end because there is a very important message there.

Disclaimer: don't own digimon, so please don't sue; you won't get anything: I have to spend all my money on summer school, but I do have some chocolate covered espresso beans, you may have those if you like.

~*~*~

The land laid in silence; a forceful breeze flew over the rolling fields of grass tossing the long blades about. The crisp green leaves, making up the canopy of the forest, rattled in a soft rhythm as the wind blew over them shaking their steams and hitting the trucks of the large trees they grew from.

Silence became a beautiful melody, the instruments playing the soothing song consisted of the rattling leafs, howling wind, and gentle streams. This melody was more exciting than a rock concert, more comforting than a lullaby; this melody was a song of life. A song that showed the creatures of the land just how wonderful their home truly was.

The inhabitants of the land all rested peacefully, each unaware of the new day's significance, each dreaming of their hearts desires. All felt safe and content with the simple life which had become the way of the Southern lands. None felt a strong desire for change, none saw the flaws and weakness, which had invaded their society, but today the simple life, the flaws, the weaknesses will all be addressed and conquered. Today the Nightmare Soldiers will rediscover themselves.

"Can't we stop and rest for the remainder of the night?" an enthralling voice asked and then yawned to show her point.

"There is no time." came the gentle reply. "We must be ready before sunrise, and that is not very far away." Matt sympathized with Ladydevimon completely, the spell which had trapped the demon in stone left her tired, but none were as exhausted as him. The battle with the Devidramon and then the final test left him tired, hungry, and emotionally drained, but still the new Lord felt that there was an utmost need for urgency. 

The blond was certain that his nemesis Deamon was on the move, the demon lord had no need for rest, and the possibility of an attack on the South or earth was a constant concern in the you man's mind.

'What if the Nightmare Soldiers refuse my leadership, I may loose more to Deamon. That deranged beast already outnumbers the South three to one, if more Nightmare Soldiers leave then we will truly have a problem.' Matt's thoughts only filled him with dread, but these thoughts were not the only worries haunting his mind. 'I wonder how TK and the others are, I know Tai will take care of them if there's another attack, but what if it's something too strong, even for him. I just wish I knew if they were all right.'

The blonde's eyes locked on the ground as fear for his brother and friends sent a waver of depression over him. 

"There is no need." 

The three digimon turned around to look at their Lord; each had a puzzled look at the teen's words. The group had traveled in silence for some time, and the blonde's words seemed to come out of nowhere.

Matt tore his eyes from the ground and looked at the three digimon with a small smile, then he turned his attention to the smallest of the three.

"There is no need to try and read my thoughts, I'll tell you what is on my mind." The teen stated with a kind smile.

Sorcerymon bowed and whispered back in an almost fearful voice. "I am sorry my Lord."

Matt could only raise an eyebrow at this response. "For what?" 

"For trying to invaded your mind." The champion digimon explained sounding as though he was certain that the teen was upset.

Matt chuckled lightly at Sorcerymon's timid response. "I'm not upset; and call me Matt, there is no need for titles amongst friends." 

Sorcerymon's eyes lightened up at these words.

Both Ladydevimon and WereGarurumon had turned their full attention to the two and their conversation, and were now both very interested in what their friend had to say. 

"So what is on your mind?" the fallen angel ask with a mournful look flooding over her scarlet eyes. Both she and WereGarurumon knew that their friend was distressed, exhausted, and depressed.

"I am worried about what will happen once the announcement is made. It is true that many will follow me whether they like the idea or not, simply because Zhuqiaomon has instructed them to, but many will rebel and leave just like when Piedmon was destroyed. We will loose many powerful warriors to Deamon."

Matt stated his concern; his words only brought down the spirits of the other members in the group.

"They are not the ones we would want anyway. The entire purpose of the new rein is to remove all those unworthy of their place in the south. This is the only land where immortality and beauty are a common factor in all areas; such things come with a price. If these digimon are not loyal to the will of the Digi-Core then they are not worthy of a place here, better that they leave of their own free will rather then be forced out." WereGarurumon expressed his view on the matter. The thought of anyone disliking his partner was unfathomable to him; but he knew that many would not offer Matt an opportunity to prove himself capable.

"Well enough of this if we're not going to rest then we're not going to chat!" Ladydevimon chirped with glee. "Let's go prepare to build an empire."

WereGarurumon and Sorcerymon both nodded showing their agreement as Matt smile at the excited demon.

"Well then let's go." The blond ordered as a new sense of purpose and fresh energy filled his mind.

The stars began to fade as the light from the rising sun drowned out the twinkling diamonds silver glow. The sunrise was beautiful, with streaks of pink, orange, and red beaming over the horizon. The light crept over the tall mountain range, which made the walls to Forbidden Valley. Slowly drops of sunlight hit the floor of the valley calling all digimon to wake and begin another day. While the natives of the South began to rise from their dreams, another group prepared for the events of the day. 

In the center of Forbidden Valley stood another mountain range. Like the walls of the valley this range had tall peaks which reached into the clear blue sky. The cliffs were step, and they did not carry any plant life on their rocky sides. The range was of three tall mountains, each peak had a high pointed summit and if the range was found on earth one would truly believe that the mountains had been altered by man. But the peaks were natural, a show of just how grand Zhuqiaomon's vision for the south was. Lying towards the top of the mountains in the very center of the three was a large flat land. The flat land was much like the platform hanging in the center of Zhuqiaomon's volcano, but there are some key differences.

The center of the three mountains was of the same flat smooth stone found on the platform of the volcano. The stone was dark gray and well polished to the point where reflections shone back perfectly. The three pointed summits of the mountains cast shadows upon the vacant area, preventing the still rising sun's light from brightening the forgotten site.

"What is this place?"

"I think the question is what was this place WereGarurumon." Sorcerymon chirped in reply to the werewolf's bafflement.

"This is Trica's Citadel, the very heart of the South. It's the center of Forbidden Valley, which is the center of both life and landmarks of the South." Ladydevimon added helpfully.

"It seems kind of barren doesn't it." WereGarurumon spoke to no one in particular.

Matt gazed up at Trica's Citadel with an almost recalcitrant look burning in his azure eyes. The step cliffs with the ominous sharp summits where his last obstacle before he finally took the plunge into the light. 

"It is barren because no one has dared to go to such a sacred place in years." Ladydevimon stated as she stared in awe at the three mountains, her eyes focused upon the center of the three.

"Not since the construction of Spiral Mountain. Piedmon used Trica's Citadel as a meeting place for his generals, this is where he and the Dark Masters decided to reconfigure the Digital World." Sorcerymon added, the educated digimon spent a great deal of his life learning the secrets of the Digital World and its history. The wizard could tell you stories for hours on how the world became what it is.

"It was not meant to be a place where angered fools discuss the destruction of the world." Matt expressed bitterly to himself. The burden of having to repair all the damage, which the clown digimon had left behind, was finally beginning to wear him down.

"Then what was it meant for?" WereGarurumon asked, the ultimate was confused and slightly aggravated that he was unaware of this three cliffs significance.

"Trica's Citadel was made to be a meeting place, but not so deranged minds could cock up insane ideas about war and destruction. Trica was meant to be a place where generals and ambassadors could speak in a controlled setting, about the future of the South and the Digital World." Matt added, not wanting to go too far into the matter. His mind was lost on thoughts of politics and his brother and friends left behind.

"Well we had better get cracking on climbing." Ladydevimon broke the silence, which had settled amongst the group. "Of course it would be easier if the two of you could fly." The demon taunted the two partners in sport.

Matt only sighed at the fallen angel's jeering as he registered what her taunts meant. "She's right we don't have much time; it's already sunrise."

"Why not have me digi-volve into MetalGarurumon?" the werewolf asked his partner with an arched eyebrow.

The teen only shook his head no, at this then explained. "For one I don't know if I have the power, remember that WarGreymon was only able to go to mega with the help of the core from Azulongmon. The other thing is that MetalGarurumon isn't a Nightmare Soldier type digimon. I don't want to take the risk of them turning on you. Gabumon and Garurumon are common in this valley because they are so directly connected to WereGarurumon, but MetalGarurumon is a vaccine type digimon, not to mention a Metal Empire. Those kind of digimon are only found in the West and East."

WereGarurumon nodded solemnly. "West and East, two places that aren't exactly on the Nightmare Soldier's vacation list."

The blond chuckled at this then turned his attention back to the cliffs.

"I have a suggestion." Sorcerymon stated, his voice held the smile that his hidden face wore.

"What?" Ladydevimon asked skeptically.

Sorcerymon took a step back from the group, then began chanting softly in the language of wizards. As he went deeper in his chant he slowly lifted his arms. 

The group soon grew curious as they saw that the wizard's hands were glowing with a soft white light. Suddenly the light flew from Sorcerymon's gray gloves and engulfed both Matt and WereGarurumon in a bubble of light and energy.

Slowly the white sphere of energy began to rise from the ground taking the partners to the air with it.

Ladydevimon and Sorcerymon both began to float following the bubbles slow assent to the top of the cliffs.

"Very nice." Matt stated with a smile as he looked at the white energy swirling around him.

WereGarurumon nodded showing his agreement as a large grin spread across his snout.

In only a few short moments the groups of four reached the round platform in the center of the three mountains. 

The smooth stone was outlined with the same ancient digi-code as the square platform. The sun's advancing light reflected off the silver emboss making a bright glow around the platform. The summits from the mountains seemed to branch out from the small valley in the center. On the inside of the valley the summits were also polished and smooth.

It was easy to see how the flat land could have been mistaken as a place to conjure wars, for the opened area looked much like a battle arena. There were not seats, or stone platelets for the group to sit upon, the area was completely vacant of furnishing.

"So the politicians and ambassadors just stood where ever they liked as they held political talks?" WereGarurumon asked as his yellow eyes scanned over the area.

Matt smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Well think about, digimon like Machinedramon and such wouldn't fit on any seats. So benches and stuff are just not practical."

"This is amazing!" Ladydevimon expressed as her scarlet eyes went over the details of the round valley. "I have never been very close to Trica's Citadel, and now I am standing on the very grounds were Lord Piedmon use to conduct his meetings." The demon walked about the circle looking at everything in awe.

"She is too easily impressed." The werewolf snorted sourly.

Sorcerymon nodded his head showing his agreement before he headed to the leg of the round platform.

Matt and WereGarurumon were left alone as their two companions studied the view of Forbidden Valley.

'It's hurting him more than he will admit. I just wish he would talk to me, but I know he feels he must do this on his own. Why must it be my partner that goes through so much pain? Maybe he and I were both cursed from the beginning.'

Matt's crystal eyes were locked on his own reflection. The gray stone fizzled out some of his color, but his reflection was still very precise and noticeable. The teen's intense stare seemed to have some accusing glares in it as he watched the faded version of himself.

"Matt?" the ultimate digimon took a timid step forward as he tried to coax a response out of his musing partner.

"It's funny, but when I was younger I thought that this was all there was." the blond kept his voice even despite the childish amusement radiating from his words. "I was so blind, but then again the rest of the world has its moments too."

WereGarurumon looked at his partner with concern, as he did not understand the meaning behind Matt's statement.

Matt never once lifted his eyes from his own reflection, but he knew that his partner was concerned and confused by his words. With a heavy sigh the blond lowered himself to the ground so that he was crouch on his legs with one hand placed securely on the platform for balance.

"When I was little I thought only of my brother and the few friends I had, but then my parents split up. My mother took my brother away with her, while my father took my friends away by forcing me to leave them behind. After that I began to fade. I hated both of my parents for splitting us apart. I hated my mom for taking my brother, and I hated my dad for leaving me alone. He would go off to work for long days, I was only seven and he would leave me alone. He told me to go out and play and make new friends, but I hated him so much that I thought by saying no it would hurt him. True, it did hurt him, but I think it hurt me worse, because that was when I began to fade. I locked myself away from the world. I had people try to be my friends, but I was so angry and so afraid. I was so afraid I'd have to leave them like my other friends."

Matt took a breath, allowing his partner to take in this knew information. WereGarurumon knew more about the teen then anyone, but there were some things that Matt still kept from the digimon. There were some things he would keep from everybody; things he would take to his grave.

"It was around that time that I believed that image was everything. I shredded my innocent and happy look for a cool calm and even cold exterior. My dad was worried, but I never gave him the satisfaction of a word on my behavior. I started hanging out with people I shouldn't have, not because I wanted friends, but because I wanted an image. An image of someone tuff who could never be hurt. I guess I felt that if people believed that you couldn't be hurt then they'd never waste their time and energy on trying to hurt you."

Matt paused once more then he shifted his position until he was sitting comfortable on the smooth stone with his knees pulled safely to his chest.

"I think that eventually it went beyond image to routine. I was used to being the cold, aloof rebel. People thought I was arrogant, but I think that many of them envied me. Imagine that, but it didn't matter. No matter how many admired me I was still all about image, but then a miracle happened. My dad dragged me to summer camp, of course the moment he mention TK was going to be there I became willing. I ended up at a large summer camp confined to a group of misfit kids; well I guess all kids are misfits. I was really content though, just being around my little brother, and watching him laugh and play like a normal kid made me feel joy that I never thought possible. It made everything seem worth it, the lonely nights, the cold image. Everything was worth the trouble if my little brother could smile and be happy. I felt I had purpose, but I still felt alone. That is were the second miracle comes in, Tai. That big hair jock never accept my aloof personality. You know if it weren't for him, I probably would have never realized what friendship really means. He taught me that images fade, and that mine had caused me to fade. I miss both of them, all of them. I just hope that when this is all over we could still be friends; because if it weren't for my friends I would still be just another fading image."

WereGarurumon listened to Matt's tale with sympathy. He knew his partner hated to be pitied, that was one of the reasons the teen never really spoke much on how he felt, but Matt was going through a lot. He had problems in the real world to deal with as well as the struggle here in the Digital World.

"Yamato, just because you have chosen this path does not mean you will walk it alone. I will always be there to help you. Your generals will stand by your side. So have faith in your friends and the bond all of you hold. Have faith that this bond will not be broken so easily." WereGarurumon's words broke Matt out of his trance like state.

"You're right." The blond smiled as he stood from the ground and turned to call his generals over. "Ladydevimon, Sorcerymon!" 

The demon and wizard type digimon both came the moment they heard their names. Each was in great antisipation as they knew that the time of the announcement was appraoching fast.

The three digimon stood side by side as they waited for their Lord's instructions.

"Devidramon have been sent out to the four citadels surrounding these mountains. The Devidramon should have already delivered their messages by now, and scouts should be leaving the citadels and spreading the news that Zhuqiaomon commands all Nightmare Soldiers to Trica." Matt explained what was promised to be happening.

"If this is Trica's Citadel, then how come there are citadels surrounding it?" WereGarurumon asked in bafflement.

"Well, Trica's Citadel is actually taken from the landmarks in Forbidden Valley. You see Trica means three, and that represents the three mountains. And the Citadel comes from the four citadels protecting the mountains. To the north we have the citadel of enlightenment, to the east we have the citadel of nobility, to the west there is the citadel of battle, and finally to the south we have the citadel of virtue. Each of these citadels are set up to protect Trica, and should there every be an attack on the south then all digimon would come to the center of Forbidden Valley for safety."

Ladydevimon giggled. "At least now we know to look for you at the citadel of enlightenment, should you ever go missing." The demon jeered at Sorcerymon, who had just completed his explanation.

WereGarurumon was about to snap something in annoyance when Matt spoke.

"The Nightmare Soldiers are forming crowds at the bottom, and Zhuqiaomon is almost here. Get ready." Matt's voice suddenly changed from its soft tone to a command. He stood to his full height and all signs of weakness and fatigue faded from his form. He ran a sweaty palm through his hair then took a deep breath preparing himself for what was about to happen.

WereGarurumon and the generals bowed showing their respect then each went to their post.

Sorcerymon walked to the left and opened his mind allowing his telepathy to seek out any that may not hold good status with the way of the south.

Ladydevimon stood to the right, she held her head up high as her scarlet eyes looked over the many creatures below. She searched each one of them, looking for any hints of attackers.

WereGarurumon stood off to the back. He tried to stay close enough for Matt to feel his presence without giving off the impression that the teen needed him there.

Matt sighed as he moved to the center of the platform. For a moment he simple closed his eyes and allowed his new power to see for him. He could feel Sorcerymon's power stretching out over the crowd, he could feel Ladydevimon's guard rise to its strongest. For a moment he allowed his focus to fall upon his partner. WereGarurumon was filled with pride and happiness for him, all the pity and remorse had faded as the ultimate watch his partner, who had grown so much. The teen would have loved to keep all his focus on WereGarurumon, but his instincts told him to search the crowd. 

With some reluctance Matt opened his eyes and focused his attention towards the multitude of digimon gathering at the foot of the mountains.

The blonde's azure eyes studied each beast large and small, humanoid and animal, until his sight rested upon a small, colorful ghost digimon. Matt blinked then looked closer at the cactus digimon.

__

Sorcerymon? Matt thought hoping the wizard would not be too distracted with the crowd. _Sorcerymon._

Sorcerymon immediately snapped out of his trance and directed his thoughts to Matt. _Yes Lord Yamato? _

Yamato ignored the use of his title and focused his energy on the telepathic conversation. _Have you felt anything… out of place?_

The teen asked showing his uncertainty. While he wasn't sure if his suspicions on the Mexican ghost were correct, he was also trying to keep his focus up. It took a lot of energy to communicate telepathically despite the fact that the one he spoke to was telepathic.

__

I'm not certain my Lord, there are many confused minds, but I have felt several digimon which seem suspicious.

Matt nodded and made a mental note that there may be more then one spy in the audience.

__

I have only felt one that strikes my concern. In the crowd there is a Ponchomon; there is something about him that does not seem right.

Sorcerymon focused his attention to the ghost digimon. 

__

Ghost digimon are wild sprits my Lord, it will be difficult for me to be certain. If you would like I will go closer and try my best to discover if he is a threat.

Matt thought about this for a moment.

__

No, keep an eye on him from here. I think I know who he works for and what his purpose is, and if I am right then he will play an important part in this announcement.

And what part is that my Lord? Sorcerymon asked with great curiosity.

Matt did not answer quickly and it almost seemed as though he was debating on not answering at all. Finally that debate was settled and he responded in a calm but wretched way. 

__

He will be the one to accuse me and call me a fraud.

Sorcerymon did not respond to this, instead he did as he was ordered and kept his focus on the wicked Ponochomon.

The crowd began to roar with question, each straining their eyes in an attempt to see the figures standing on the platform. Yells, conversation, and question echoed off the cliffs as Nightmare Soldiers continued to arrive, some in herds, flocks and caravans, and others completely alone. 

Matt began to grow anxious, he wanted the announcement to be over and the stress of waiting only made him more nervous.

A cry rang out from the crowd, which silenced all others. 

"Look!"

The simple word drew every digimon's attention to the air as a flock of Devidramon blackened the sky. The demon dragons circled Trica's Citadel then each flew to a spot and gracefully landed on their perches. The crowd of Nightmare Soldiers was silent as the Devidramon began to screech in unison. The cries were piercing but they drew the attention of every digimon within a ten-mile radius to the three mountains.

Then just as quickly and preciously as the dragons had begun their call they stopped, and a sickening silence reined over the land.

Suddenly awe and wonder filled the audience as the morning blue sky began to fad into a deep crimson. Streaks of organ and yellow decorated the red sky with the colors of a blazing fire. Fire spun is swirls across the sky; many digimon cried and fell to the ground as the swirls of fire took the form of Zhuqiaomon.

"Zhuqiaomon has come back!"

"He has come to bless us with a new Lord!"

Cries of praise rang from the ground, all worshipping the Digi-God of the South.

Zhuqiaomon spread out his large wings as though to silence the crowd. Immediately the multitude went quiet. All the Nightmare Soldiers looked upon the mega ,which had father them, with respect and love

"Children of the South!" the phoenix's deep voice projected over the land as he addressed his digimon. "For many years I have slept awaiting the time when I should seek you out a new ruler. I have watch as many of our own have fallen in battle. I have watch as many have left our land for glory in another, and I will watch once more as the weakest of you leave this land and turn to our enemies."  


These words brought the crowd to mumble in bewilderment and anger.

"We would never betray our own!" 

shouts of similar promises range out but were soon silence as Zhuqiaomon's power radiated from him in the form of a red force field.

"Our people have become know as savage fools, Piedmon is gone and order has fleeted from our hearts!" Zhuqiaomon's words caused all heads to drop in shame since the race of warriors knew that these charges were true.

"Today this will change. All old ways of savagery and vulgarity will be ripped from our society. We will be the race we once were, and I have chosen one who has been ordained by the Digi-Core to lead you. Today I bring before you your new Lord, Yamato Ishida."

Matt stepped forward so that he could be seen by the crowd. Roars of anger and confusion range out. Many of the digimon shouted at Zhuqiaomon accusing him of poor judgment as other simple stared in shock of seeing a human.

"Yamato has defeated Piedmon and passed the test of the Digi-Core therefor proving himself worthy to be the new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." 

More cries of outrage range out and many digimon began screaming threats, but Matt didn't flinch. He stood perfectly still. His head had be hung the entire time he stood in sight. To those on the ground it seemed that all life had left him, but to those who stood on the platform with him it seemed that he was musing on something.

Finally the debate seemed to have ended and Matt's muscles relaxed as the stress from the decision left. The teen shot his head up so quickly that it shocked everyone to silence. His blue eyes seemed to burn with a calm fire but still he said nothing.

Zhuqiaomon did not speak, and Matt seemed to have no desire to brake the intimidating silence. Finally an IceDevimon seemed to build up enough courage to speak. Slowly he spread out his wings and flew above the multitude so that all, including Matt could hear him.

"I have been loyal to you my whole life Zhuqiaomon, never once have I spoke out against the Digi-Core, but if you would have me serve this boy, then I would have to say that you have gone mad!" 

Cries of agreement with the ice devil's words roared from the crowd.

"He is one of the very factor who have sworn to destroy our kind!" a small rookie shouted from the crowd.

These cries didn't seem to bother Matt, he had expected a worse response, but Ladydevimon in all her pride was very upset by the mocks her Lord was receiving.

The demon rushed to the end of the platform and shouted out to the crowd. "You are the fools, all of you!"

"Don't tell me Ladydevimon, that a digimon as respected as yourself, has been reduced to serving a child!" the same rookie mocked.

Ladydevimon's eyes narrowed on the digimon. "Hold your tongue Impmon or I will rip it from your mouth!" she shouted and prepared for an attack. In less then a second a swarm of bats was heading straight for the unsuspecting rookie.

The crowd moved away trying to avoid the attack as the swarm of bats approached the Impmon at high speed. The Impmon screeched in horror and held his three fingered hands over his eyes in an attempt to block out the sight of his approaching doom.

The crowd held their breaths as the bats reach their target.

The bats hit and then faded into particles of black data. The Nightmare Soldiers looked in wonder at the blue force field, which had blocked the attack from hitting the outspoken rookie. The crowd grew even more amazed as they realized who had put up the defense. The creatures began to point and speak in low whispers as the blue faded from Matt's hand and the force field faded from around the Impmon.

Matt ignored all the Nightmare Soldiers on the ground and calmly walked to Ladydevimon who now hung her head in shame.

"I'm so sorry my Lord." The demon spoke softly as she locked her eyes on the ground too afraid to look at Matt.

Matt smiled and repressed a laugh. "I thought I told you to call me Matt." He giggled out trying to ease the fallen angel's worry.

The crowd all stared up in wonder, each was certain that the bold demon would be killed since it was obvious that her Lord did not approve of her action. 

"I know that you're mad at them, but come on don't you think ripping that little guy to shreds is a bit harsh." Matt abandoned his commanding tone for a moment and spoke to Ladydevimon like he would his little brother.

Ladydevimon scowled in defense then answered. "They need to learn to respect you."

"Respect and fear are two totally different things. You should have known they'd respond like this, you'd probably be a little skeptical too if you hadn't been there with me for my other test." Matt lectured with a smile. "I know it's going to take a while to earn their trust, it might even take a lifetime, but I am ready for that challenge, and I need you to be too."

Ladydevimon bowed her head so that the crowd could see her benevolence. 

Once the demon had return to her respected place Matt returned to the edge of the platform.

The Nightmare Soldiers began to mumble to one another once more as they tried to make sense of what just happened.

The IceDevimon watched the crowd talk with one another for a few moments before he returned his attention to the teen. Matt held the demon's stare allowing the white humanoid to look him over.

"You know compassion, but the young one is right. You are a Digidestined, one of the very children responsible for Piedmon's death. How do you answer to that?" the ice demon demanded with an accusing tone.

Matt took a deep breath before answering. "My history with Piedmon is none of your concern." He stated coldly but kept his voice even.

Murmurs of mixed responses could be heard from the audience. Some were impressed with the fact that the teen held his dignity and calm under their questioning, while others were offended and wanted an answer to the charge.

The IceDevimon which was leading the question was taken back by Matt's boldness but was also now very intrigued with him.

'How do I answer to something like this when I know it's true?' the teen thought desperately to himself. His desire to be with his brother and friends grew with each breath he took. Every moment he stood on that platform was agony for him, since he never felt more alone and exposed.

Despite Matt's nervous and even frightened feelings he still managed to keep up a cold front. Years of supporting an image had made him strong and taught him how to hold under pressure.

"Forgive me you are right your past is unimportant, but what does concern me is your future here." The devil spoke softening his tone a bit.

Matt let out a mental sigh of relief as he prepared to answer the new questioned, but before he could build a reply a swirl of green color rushed into the air until it met the height of the IceDevimon.

"It is a good questioned, and should not be dismissed so easily." The creature hissed out. "How do we know this boy was not sent here by Azulongmon to destroy us in our time of weakness?" the Ponchomon's coal black eyes stared deeply into Matt searching for any signs of restlessness.

Matt took another deep breath knowing that no matter how he answered the cactus ghost would find some kind of fault with him.

"I have no connection with Azulongmon or Gennia. I served both of them when I was needed and that was the will of the Digi-Core. You asked how I would answer to Piedmon's death, then I answer guilty. I was responsible for Piedmon's destruction, I played a large part in that battle, but every time I fought as a Digidestined I did it with the consent of the Digi-Core. Now I stand before you at the Digi-Core's biding and my choice."

Matt answered knowing his response would drive more insults at him.

The Ponchomon laughed; his hallow voice cracked with mockery. "You are just a boy! Even more you are a Digidestined. I would rather die then serve the one responsible for Piedmon's death! I will not abandon my pride as a Nightmare Soldier and serve a child!"

This outburst brought more yells from the crowd.

Matt took the many shouts and angered stares he was receiving without a word; his eyes never once left the green ghost.

"Nevertheless I am the new Lord, and if you find that to be in anyway unacceptable then leave this meeting." Matt stated coldly.

The Ponchomon was about to argue when Matt held up his hand to silence him. "I have heard your opinion, and I will not force myself on anyone, if you choose to serve me it must be freely."

More mixed responses came from this statement.

"You will brake us apart. We are a race! The grandest race of digimon ever! You will brake us apart because only fools would follow the leadership of a child!" the Ponchomon's cries were soon joined by similar insults as other Nightmare Soldiers took in what the ghost said.

The IceDevimon, which had first began the questioning, now floated off to the side in silence. His eyes were downcast as his clawed hand was raised to his chin as though he were thinking. Finally he floated back to were Matt stood and looked him in the eyes.

"When Piedmon was first elected there were many who disapproved. The idea that such a mysterious and antisocial digimon could lead was outrageous in many minds, but still all accepted it. He was insane but we grew to both love and respect him, but he did not have the weight you have. If you truly took this position, then you know that you would not only have to serve as our Lord, but also pick up the many pieces that Piedmon left behind." The last statement was more of a questioned then a comment.

Matt nodded his head his eyes narrowed slightly but his face remained emotionless. "Yes, I know." He replied with no hint of remorse.

The IceDevimon nodded his head as he stored away the answer then he looked back at the teen. "And you would also know that many will not accept you, that your own might abandon you, and that you very life is at stake for standing before us now?" 

Matt took a deep breath then locked eyes with the crimson orbs staring back at him. "Yes."

The simple but confident reply seemed to settle the ice demon's mind. "If Zhuqiaomon claims you to be the Lord then I will not question. You have certainly prove yourself to be strong and as long as you serve my people I will serve you."

This value of loyalty caused voices to rise in an uproar.

"You are a fool, you hand our land and our life over to our enemy!" the Ponchomon shouted in anger.

"If the Digi-Core and Zhuqiaomon have faith in him then who am I to questioned?" came the simple reply. After the IceDevimon had spoken he bowed then floated back to the crowd to watch the rest of the event.

Ponchomon laughed hysterically now. Neither him nor Matt was prepared for such acceptance. Both had expected over half the South to have left by now, but only a few outraged digimon have stomped off.

"I understand that our loyalty lies with Zhuqiaomon and the Digi-Core, but Yamato has murdered our people. He has taken part in the death of Devimon of File Island, Myotismon of Server, and even our very master Lord Piedmon! Will you now value your life to him? Will you now live on your knees always seeking his approval? I for one will never gravel for a murdering human!" 

Roars of agreement rang out from the crowd as fist flew into the air and many chanted their disapproval of Matt. Through all this Matt was quiet, he never once tried to interrupt Ponchomon nor did he scream out defenses now.

Many digimon began to separate from the crowd and soon the audience had split in half. The first half remained silent; most of them found Matt to be acceptable while the others simple kept their loyalties to their race. The other half was filled with screaming digimon, all crying out insults and cursing Matt and his followers.

Zhuqiaomon allowed the protesters to continue their uproar for a few minutes before silence them with a low growl.

"Now comes the time to decided." He announced his tone more serious and commanding then ever. "Those who will not follow Yamato," he addressed with no anger or praise. "Do not feel you must follow Lord Yamato because of your heritage. This is a strange time, a time when loyalties must be decided. Those who remain in the South must swear their lives to the Lord chosen by the Digi-Core, but those who refuse may leave. They may find their freedom from leadership in another land. We must separate those who are loyal from those who are willful. If you find your place is not with us then I ask you leave now. Leave and live as you will." Zhuqiaomon's command brought out the uncertainty of the moment.

Many wished to leave but none wanted to be the first to say they held no loyalty to the one who fathered them.

"I will leave. I would rather make another land my own then hand my home over to a child!" with this cry of betrayal the Ponchomon began to float away.

Soon many digimon followed his lead; all scattering off with angered faces cursing Matt under their breaths. Flocks and herds of digimon began to head for the walls of Forbidden Valley all bound for the sea.

'Then it's over, Zhuqiaomon will leave me to make my fist commands.' Matt thought to himself in both relief and distress.

"Those who remain, know this. You are free to leave at any time should you find you hold no respect for Lord Yamato, but so long as you remain in the South you will show him respect. I have chosen him as your Lord for I know he has a pure heart and a strong will. He will teach you the virtues you have lost over the years, and he will lead you to victory over all your enemies. Now be strong and serve him well, and always remember that we are an elite race. We are the Nightmare Soldiers." 

Cries of praise rang out from the remaining half of the digimon. Each Nightmare Soldier left sang blessings to their Digi-God, as Zhuqiaomon's body turned from its solid for to pure flames. The swirling fire burned in the air for a moment before turning into a cloud of fire and then vanishing all together.

The crimson sky soon faded into a soft blue. White puff clouds decorated the baby blue ozone like puffs of good will and the sun shone down bright warm rays of light on the digimon still standing at the mountain's edge.

Matt breathed in deeply. His palms began to sweat and his stomach grew knots as his nerves finally tensed up. He felt completely alone now. Zhuqiaomon would not reawaken until another Lord was needed, and Matt hoped that wouldn't be for a long time.

'Now what do I do?' he thought desperately to himself.

The crowd of digimon grew completely silent and still. Each of them looked up at the platform with anticipation. Many of them still held great doubt in Matt's ability to lead them, but the majority of them were so excited that they now had a Lord that they did not dwell on the doubt.

'I wonder how Piedmon started his rein off? No, I guess I shouldn't compare or even try to be like him. But what do I do, what do I say?' Matt just looked at his new subjects and tried to contain the nausea that was building in his stomach. Finally he decided that simply staring wasn't going to get him far, so with an almost timid step forward and a deep breath he addressed the crowd.

"I know that many of you doubt my ability to lead, and you should know that such feelings are justified and even respect. I am human, I am not born of your race, and I am a Digidestined, something that I will not deny. But you should know that I was not selected by Gennia to become a Digidestined. The Digi-Core first brought me to the Digital World, and for the moment I arrived I served its will. My crest allowed me the power to create a Nightmare Soldier, I do not expect this new knowledge to bring your doubts to any ease, but I want you to know that I will serve you to the best of my ability. And if you give me your trust I promise I will not abuse it."

Matt sighed, he really wasn't certain where to go from there, but he tried his best to put his feelings into words.

"Life is an important gift, the most important gift. We who are of balance serve lift. Light, Darkness, they have no meaning here, only life has meaning. If we hold strong to one another then we can bring virtue and justice back into life. If we stay strong together then Azulongmon and Gennia can not touch us; Demon can not brake us. We will rebuild the South and the World will know the power and heart behind the Nightmare Soldiers"

The crowd roared in agreement, each was pleased with the speech and now more ready then ever to follow their new Lord.

"Lord Yamato, what are your first orders?" 

Matt looked down to see the small Impmon who only moments ago shouted insults at him bowing. His green eyes looked at his new Lord with the love in his heart.

Matt raised his hand to his chin and cast his eyes down as he thought of how to response.

Suddenly another digimon shouted out.

"Let us build a castle to show our new Lord our devotion!"

The Kuybbimon suggestion received many agreeing shouts.

Matt thought for a moment then shook his head.

"No, not a castle." He replied his tone soft but commanding. He then pointed northeast. "Build a court, something large, showing the beauty of the South. In that court we will begin the first steps on rebuilding the South." This idea not only made Matt seem more serious on his role, but also showed that he was thinking ahead. 

"Then we shall build a court in the mountain of the north-east, and it will be the largest and grandest court that ever existed." This time it was the IceDevimon that spoke.

"Soon the world will know that the Nightmare Soldiers have been reborn!"

With this last shout from Matt, Ladydevimon and Sorcerymon flew down and prepared to take records and give orders.

~*~*~ 

It was the perfect place for a meeting. The park was small out of the way and completely vacant. No sidewalks led into the brush and untended plants, but the grass was healthy and trimmed. Large oak trees loomed over the grassy floor blocking much of the suns bright rays. Blotches of bright sunlight would sometimes make it past the barrier of leafs and decorate the green ground with spots of gold. But these small spot were not enough to bring cheer and life to the abandoned park. The old benches were made of rotting wood and the area itself was decaying except for the healthy grass and oak trees. There was no pond where ducks swam about while children threw breadcrumbs at them, and all the jungle gyms and swings were old and rusted. No child would ever beg their parents to take them to such a lowly place, but the park served an excellent purpose for the small group of teens, which had gathered there.

"Have you tried some of his friends from the music department?" a feminine voice asked, her tone made it sound as though she were trying to help, but her reward was only a glare.

"I told you I've tried everyone!" the snapped words caused the first party to sigh in defeat.

"TK, don't get made at Sora; she was just trying to help." Kari's soft voice brought some reason back to the young blond.

TK was in complete agony. His brother had vanished and not a single soul knew where he had gone. 

"How is everyone taking this?" Tai asked, his voice displayed the worry that was quickly consuming him.

TK sighed trying to calm his nerves; his shaky hands slowly went to the ground as he forcefully yanked some grass from their roots. Then he began ripping the blades to shreds in a small attempt to control his fired up emotions.

"I told my dad that he was staying with some friends, and he never ask questions so that was easy. Two of his band members left town because of the monster attacks, so we don't have to worry about questions there. And most of the music department left town as well." It took a great deal of strength for TK to focus on the information; his mind had become a complete blur after his brother's disappearance.

"We're lucky that all schools have been canceled for a while. Not only does it give us a chance to focus on the Digital World, but it also gives us a way to conceal Matt's disappearance." Ken stated logically, hoping the small comfort would help ease some tension.

"If it weren't for those stupid monster attacks he wouldn't be missing in the first place!" TK shouted then buried his face in his hands. 

Kari wrapped an arm over TK's quivering shoulders as she tried to soothe him to silence. TK didn't react to Kari's comfort; he kept his head buried as kept repeating incoherent phrases over and over again.

"TK we don't know if the Digi-World has anything to do with this." Joe tried to reason while trying to sound sympathetic as well.

Joe had a great deal of faith that even if Matt was in the Digital World that he was fine. The doctor to be always saw Matt as strong and capable, and he was certain that the blond was safe. Unfortunately none of the others shared his faith. Sora and the younger kids believed that he just took off. It wasn't uncommon, the blond would often just vanish for days when he was depressed, but he always told TK that he was leaving, and that was the reason behind the younger blonde's distress.

Izzy didn't want to rule out any theories on Matt's location, but it was Tai and TK who were convinced that the Child of Friendship was in the Digital World. Both had waited at Matt's apartment all night, and when no news came on him they decided to have this meeting.

TK was a wreck; he handled the disappearance very well at first. He remained calm and stayed up all night without a single tear, but by morning he cracked. News reports on the battle cites kept talking about blood, and that drove the younger brother to the brink of insanity.

Tai seemed to be handling it well. He was clam level headed and open-minded. At least that was how he appeared on the outside, but on the inside he was completely panicked. In his mind Matt had grown depressed again, and the idea that he was attack was brutal on the young leader.

Everyone had remained silent after Joe stated his opinion, but finally the quiet grew to be too much for Yolie. "We've already been over everything, maybe we should think about looking in the Digi-World."

"But the Digital World is huge, where would we start?" Cody's timid voice brought out a new predicament.

Izzy began typing away at his computer as the rest of the group fell silent once more.

"You don't think Deamon is behind this do you?" TK's voice suddenly broke the silence.

The rest of the group turned to look at the Child of Hope. TK's cheeks were red and tear streaked, but his azure eyes were burning with questions.

"I think it's possible. Gennia did say that Deamon was growing in power, and remember he does have the ability to travel between the two worlds." Ken spoke on the matter first. His history with Deamon left him very bitter towards the demon lord.

"But what about this new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers? Maybe he has something to do with it." Joe added.

"What makes you so sure it's a he?" Yolie asked with a hint of offense.

"I wonder if the new Lord has past all of his test or whatever it was he needed to do." Davis stated bring up a new factor in the discussion.

"He has a point, maybe the new Lord hasn't been chosen yet." Sora expressed as she began to play with some blades of grass.

"Or maybe Matt knows something about the new Lord and that's why he vanished."

Everyone looked at Tai in confusion. The brunette had his eyes locked on the ground as he considered his own theory.

"What do you mean? How could Matt possibly know anything about the new Lord?" Yolie asked in bewilderment.

Tai sighed then looked up so that he could see the baffled and anxious looks he was receiving from the group. "When Gennia first announced this whole new Lord thing, Matt seemed pretty upset. I mean he's been a little moody lately, but he genuinely seemed worried about how this was going to effect everything. He also seemed like he was really on his guard, you know like he was hiding something." Tai offered his evidence then waited for someone to comment on it.

"Tai, Matt is always on his guard, that's just who he is." Sora stated matter-of-factly.

Tai just shook his head, he knew it didn't make since and he wasn't sure how he could explain his concern. "Look I know Matt better then all of you, except TK of course, and I know when something is really bothering him and when he's just going through one of his down times. I'm not saying I have proof, but I do believe he is in the Digital World. And maybe his whole aloof attitude just had to do with the fact that he's stressed and doesn't want to fight anymore, but given the circumstances I don't think we should rule anything out."

Everyone nodded in agreement to Tai's last remark.

"Okay now let's think logically." Izzy announced bring all attention to him as he looked up from his computer screen. "Let's say Matt is in the Digital World. How was he able to by pass the monitoring program which keeps record on the Digi-Port?"

"He can't, there is no way to use a Digi-Port without us knowing it." Yolie stated with confidence in the program that they had designed.

"So what are you saying, that if he is in the Digital World we would know because the monitoring program would have told us?" Tai asked with and almost sarcastic tone.

"Not at all. I believe you're right about Matt being in the Digital World. I have done several searches worldwide and I can't find any trace of him here in the real world. But like Yolie said, there is no way for him to use the Digi-Port without us knowing it." Izzy stated.

"So maybe he did like you guys did before the Digi-Port and used his digi-vice." Davis added.

Joe shook his head in confusion before holding out his hand to silence anyone else from adding a theory. "Okay could we just start over because I think you lost me somewhere." 

"Joe, you'd get lost in your own bedroom." Tai chuckled out.

Everyone laughed when Joe made a defensive face. The small show of glee lightened everyone's mood a bit.

"Basically what I'm saying Joe, is that we can rule out that he used the Digi-Port. If he is in the Digital World then he either used his digi-vice, something we haven't been able to do freely since the wars ended; or he was taken there against his will." Izzy explained.

No one spoke as they quietly considered the two possibilities. 

"Hey I have an idea!" Yolie broke through the silence with a determined shout. "Why don't one of you older kids trying using your digi-vices to open the gate from here." 

"That sounds like a plan. If one of use can open the gate then it means Matt can open the gate." Joe stated though his tone showed no real interest in the idea.

"Okay, I guess I'll give it a try." Tai announced. 

Slowly the young soccer player stood from the damp ground. He looked down at his blue shorts and frowned before brushing off the moist blades of grass from the cotton fabric. Once his legs were loose and stretched he began to think of exactly how he was going to attempt to open the gate. Going over all the other times the group had used their digi-vices he discovered one definite fact about the process; none of them had any control over the small devices. Every time the gate had opened without a digi-port it was a whim. Totally unexpected and completely uncontrollable, but still the stress of the situation enable Tai the will to try anything no matter how unreasonable the idea was.

Slowly with a sigh the brunette reached for his digi-vice, which was latched to the black belt fashioned securely around his fairly thin waist. The metallic instrument glistened in the sunlight that made it passed the canopy of leaves. When the teen held the device a sense of pride filled his being. Pride from all he had accomplished as a Digidestined; but there was also fear. Fear that this idea wouldn't work, thus proving that his best friend had not left this world willingly, but was taken and could now be in pain or even dying.

"Okay here it goes!" Tai announced as he thrust his hand into the air extending his arm to its full length as he took in a deep breath. He caught the air in his lungs and concentrated on his task. Once he felt his mind had focused on his mission he let out a commanding, "Digi-Port open!"

The shout broke the silence in the park, sending the birds resting in the trees into the sky. All the other Digidestined waited and watched as Tai still held his arm out. Soon the unexpected brake of the silence faded back into the sickening stillness. The other Digidestined watched as the strain left their leaders face and was replaced with defeat, a look rarely found on Taichi Kamiya's features.

Tai lowered his arm and cast his eyes to the freshly cutgrass. His cocoa colored eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as his mind finally processed what his unsuccessful attempt to open the gate meant. 

"It was a long shot anyway…" Yolie mumbled.

"Yeah a long shot," TK agreed as he began to grip the rootless blades of grass in his sweaty palms. "A long shot…" he repeated to himself as he fought back the tears that were threatening to fall once more.

Everyone sunk into their own depression and defeat as they thought of all the possibilities for their missing friend. He could be hurt, dying, or even dead; and now none of them would ever find out; or at least that was how they all felt.

The sound of a high pitch beep brought everyone's attention back to the standing brunette.

Tai's digi-vice was going crazy, glowing, vibrating, and making a sharp beep that was so loud the others had to hold their hands over their ears.

Tai was dumbfounded; his eyebrows twisted up in bafflement as his confused brown eyes searched the white metallic device for some short of explanation for its strange actions. Then almost as though it had sensed its owner's bewilderment and concern the digi-vice stopped beeping; soon after that the vibration stop followed quickly by the flashing lights.

Everything was quiet once more. The group of misfit teens locked at their unspoken leader in confusion, but Tai's attention was on anything but his fellow Digidestined. His mouth hung open slightly in shock and his noise had curled in an almost disgusted way.

'That's it?… you give me a fancy light show and a splitting head ache from that stupid noise and still you can't help me?!' Tai's annoyance and anger was now boiling into a fiery rage. He silently cursed his digi-vice then he tightened his grip on the small device. "Give me back my best friend you worthless…!" 

Tai's insults were cut short by another blinding light. His Digivice screeched once more as light, so bright that the children had to shut their eyes, rayed from the metallic instrument. Tai closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the blinding rays. Once he was certain that the light had faded he opened his eyes once more.

At first his vision was fuzzy and it was difficult for him to disguise objects from other objects. He blinked a couple of times allowing his strained eyes to readjust to the dim atmosphere of the park.

"That was strange," he spoke within a heavy sigh.

"Gennia!" 

Tai's eyes immediately shot up at Izzy's exclamation.

"Hello everyone," Gennia greeted softly as he offered the group a small smile.

Tai shook his head in confusion then looked back at the group's mentor. "Did my digi-vice bring you here?" he asked with a small since of hope. If his digi-vice could bring the digital man to the real world then there was nothing to say that Matt couldn't send himself to the Digital World.

"Yes, I was hoping one of you would be activating the gate so that I could come speak with you." He explained as he walked closer to the group. 

All the Digidestined were now standing with their digital ally, all except TK. The group greeted their _father_ _figure_ with bright smiles and cheerful hello's, but the young blonde refused to be a part of this small show of merriment. 

After the welcomes were over Gennia singled for the group to be seated. Everyone returned to their original places without a word as Gennia took a seat in-between Izzy and Davis.

"So, I hear you've been having some trouble," the blue eyed brunette opened the conversation not bothering to go into a long speech.

"…"

The half statement half question caught the group a little off guard.

No one was certain how to respond to this, but soon the waiting became too much for the wretched Child of Hope. Out of what seemed like nowhere TK screamed in aggravation then punched the ground with all the force his fatigued body could muster. He then began to pound the ground relentlessly as he scream over and over again; "I want my brother… I want Matt!" 

Kari looked at her best friend in total shock. Her soft ruby eyes widened in surprise and fear. Her concern for the blonde grew with the sound of his fist connecting with the ground, but the shock of the sight kept her to petrified to even attempt to stop him or even comfort him.

No one made a move; TK's fit had thrown all of them into stone. It was hard to see the usually calm and quiet kid beating the ground with unfathomable aggression. All of them wanted to help him, to take way some of the pain he was feeling, but they knew that he wouldn't be better until he had his brother back. 

The sound of TK's fist hitting the ground began to drop a bit as his rhythm began to slow until it faded back into the silence. The group watched as the blonde's arm went limp and his shoulders dropped. 

TK laid his hand on the ground softly, as his arm grew numb. He stiffened when he saw the split skin on his bloody knuckles, and his shoulders began to shake as he fell into a tearless sob. His chest hurt as he drew in sharp breaths and his head was spinning from coming off his adrenaline rush. Slowly he regained control over his breathing and soon his shoulders rose back to their normal height. 

The group released the breath, which all of them had been holding during the outburst. They looked at the distressed child with sympathy and love. 

A small "I'm sorry" escaped TK's lips and the group knew that the violent over protective brother had faded back into the quiet respectful Child of Hope.

"Oh TK," Kari expressed as she wrapped her short arm over the pre-teen's quivering shoulders.

Everyone remained silent for a moment; they watched the young blonde lean into the Child of Light's embrace a bit.

"Actually that is one of the things I have come to speak with all of you about." 

All eyes returned to Gennia. The Digital man's cerulean eyes held remorse and sympathy as he watched the despondency, that hung over the group of guardians like a blackened mist. The depression, worry, and confusion had built up so much stress in the group that you could feel the strife and unsettlement weighing down like a physical blow constantly pounding all over the body. All the unshed tears and hidden fears were slowly surfacing and the incomplete group never felt so empty.

"But before I speak on what I know, why don't you tell me what exactly happened here." 

Izzy nodded and immediately took to the roll of briefing Gennia on the attacks in the real world.

"We're still not certain on exactly what happened, we have very few details, but what we do know is that there were three attacks. One of the attacks happened on the opened streets, only a couple of blocks away from our current location. Eyewitnesses say that three _ghost, _matching the descriptions of the ghost that attack four years ago, began terrorizing pedestrians as they attempt to escape the creatures. Apparently the attack didn't last long since a stripped dog-lizard with a horn on his head stopped the attack and destroyed the three ghost." 

"So have you determined that the dog-lizard was Gabumon?" Gennia asked wanting to not only hear the reports but also the reliable, and generally correct, theories of the young genius.

"Yes I have no doubt on that," Izzy answered confidently, "That attack isn't the one that has caused the controversy, the problem is the other attack cites. The second attack happened in an alley. A young couple was dragged into the alley by two Bakemon and beaten until they were too weak and frighten to try and run away. The girl is still in the hospital unconscious but the man released a statement to the press that worries me. He said that a teen-aged boy with blonde hair and _amazing_ blue eyes used special powers to destroy the ghost. He then stated that the teen had to be an angel because he took away the woman's nightmares."

"And you think that the boy was Matt?" Gennia asked in shock.

He was even more shocked when he received neutral nods from the entire group including TK.

Gennia simple shock his head in disbelief as he tucked away the new information. "What about the third attack?" he finally asked as he had decided that getting all the details would be better then rushing to conclusions.

"Well the third attack is the one with the least information. There were no witnesses so we know very little about it. All we do know is that there was a very fierce battle there. Blood and broken glass is still scattered on the road in that area."

Gennia nodded once more as he considered all of this information. "It's very difficult to believe, I have no doubt that Gabumon was at one of the attacks, but how could Matt possibly fight two Bakemon?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that." TK's tiered voice radiated from his bowed head.

"Tell me, where is Matt now?" Gennia asked with a thoughtful look gleaming in his sapphire eyes.

"We don't know, he disappeared around the time of the attacks." Joe replied for the group.

"And you have no idea where he is?" the digital man questioned as he eyed each teen in the circle.

All the Digidestined shock their heads "no" then looked at the ground in shame.

"I'm afraid I don't have any knowledge on his where about's, to be honest I didn't even know he was missing. Have you searched this world for him?"

"Yes, I've done several scans over this world and have found no trace of his digi-vice's single." Izzy answered matter-of-factly.

Gennia was silent. 

The group of teens didn't dare brake the new silence, they simply sat, heads still down and minds still racing with unanswered questions. Soon the silence from the group seemed to grow thicker and the sounds of the park took over. Leafs rattled as the wind pushed them about on their branches. The light began to shift as the sun rose higher in the sky, chasing away the chill of the morning and replacing it with the heat more commonly found in the city. 

"I'm afraid I have no answer for you," Gennia began after he had thought all the facts and theories threw. He took each piece of the events which had transpired in both the Digital World and the real world and tried his best to find some sort of connection. Some sort of explanation that fit all of the information, but his rational mind could find no common ground between the strange attacks and the events in the Digital World. "But I can do what I intended to do and that is inform you of all that has happened in the Digi-World over the past twenty-four hours."

"Right now we'll take anything we can get." Tai stated flatly.

"Well this is what I know so far, Deamon has grown in power and his armies have grown in numbers. It seems that he has not made a move yet, but my sources tell me that this is simply because he is planing to make his first move big, real big. His armies have been training and all of them are aggressive creatures. If Deamon does attack I know for certain you will not win without all of you together. That is why it is imperative that we find the Child of Friendship." Gennia's voice grew horse and his words seemed more forced towards the end of his speech. The sign of fear on the mentor's part only added to the teen's feelings of hopelessness.

"Well what can you tell us about the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers?" Tai asked curiously, as he wondered why the man hadn't brought up the subject yet.

Gennia sighed as though to say I was afraid you'd ask that. "Frankly there really isn't much to say other then, there is either a new Lord of the South, or there is not." 

The vague explanation earned Gennia some confused glance and some annoyed glares.

"Smoke no longer rises from Zhuqiaomon's volcano," Gennia began to explain, "which means that the candidate's test are over, but there has been no announcement on whether or not he or she passed."

"Well that's just great," Yolie snapped with anger, "Now we don't even know if we have two enemies or not!" she shouted as her irritation grew.

"Calm down Yolie." Sora ordered from her place across from the violet hair girl.

"Don't worry, we will know when Deamon makes a move, that beast can't do anything without a show, so we can prepare for his possible attack. And as for the new Lord," Gennia stopped in the mid of his speech as he thought of exactly how to word his plane, "As for this new Lord, we will wait and see his intentions. If he failed the test then I will take care of the South while they are weak and leaderless, and I will do it in my own way. But if they do have a new Lord then we will see how he planes to lead his people. If there is any signs of corruption in him then we will attack the Nightmare Soldiers before they have the time to regain order."

This plane seemed to work in the Digidestined's minds. At least it was progress and a fairly simple plane, wait, watch, and then destroy if necessary. Simple, easy, too easy.

"But what about Matt?" TK asked once the new _plane_ had settled in his mind.

"Keep an eye out for him, and I'll search the Digital World and see what I can find." Gennia explained with an almost sly smile. "If Deamon or this new Lord has anything to do with his disappearance then their necks will brake for it!" was the last threat before the discussion fell into general briefing.

Nothing was determined besides a threat; a threat made with good intention, but would only cause more pain in the end.

~*~*~

****

~*Important*~

Okay my important message is that over the downtime I have completely lost interest in this fic. I know that I probably just need to get back into the swing of things, but right now I am swamped with stuff and this seems to be the most trifle thing in my life. So this is were you, the reader, come in; if you would like me to continue this then please give me some sort of feedback saying so. I'll take e-mails and IM's but I prefer reviews, saves me time. So I'm not saying that I'm going to quite this, what I'm saying is that I want to make sure I still have some readers out there before I put the time and effort into another chapter. So if you want more of this fic then please review, and also try to tell me what you thought of this last chapter. I take all criticism into consideration and try to use it to improve my writing.

Well, enough of me for tonight. Thanks for reading, bye, bye.


	10. A Look Through Icy Eyes

A/N: Okay first I feel the need to apologize. I said I might not continue this and in all honesty I had every intention of stopping. There have been some problems in my home and in my personal life, and when you add that to the stress of work and school things can get a little overwhelming. However when I saw how many people reviewed, and read all the encouragement you all gave me I decided to continue. This is one of the very few things I do for personally enjoyment and the fact that it has been enjoyed by others only makes it more gratifying. So basically what I am trying to say is thank you to everyone who reviewed and **yes** I **will** finish this fic.

School starts tomorrow (* groans * I just got done with summer school a week ago) so it may take me a little bit longer to get these chapters out, but please don't give up on me. I am working very hard to get these chapters out quickly, and I will continue to work on this fic as much as possible over the school year.

There are so many things I want to say to so many people, but I don't even know where to start so I'll finish this note with this thought. I would definitely not be continuing this if it weren't for all of the encouragement (and a few death threats) that you all gave me. Enough of me though….

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, but I do own Matt!!! Hahaha…. Um no more espresso for me. (And I don't really own Matt: in case you were wondering.

~*~*~

The sun beat down upon the working digimon as they scrambled to finish their task before the heat of the day drove them to exhaustion. A day had passed since Yamato was announced as the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, and now many digimon from all over the south made their way to the north-east hoping to join the other Nightmare Soldiers in the construction the great hall. The digimon had work all through the night and now the dawn was singling a shift change. The nocturnal digimon dropped their load and headed back into the shadows of the forest before the sun rose too high, while the new digimon took up the unfinished work and prepared to build through the day.

Progress on the hall was almost unbelievable. Bullmon and Sethmon used their powerful metal limbs to brake into the mountainside, drilling deep into the cliffs until rooms began to form. Soon halls of uneven and jagged stone were formed, followed by great rooms with walls, floors, and ceilings of dark stone. The digimon drilled into the mountain until three mountains were hollowed out and separated by many rooms.

High above all of this commotion stood four figures. They leaned over the edge of the cliff watching the movement below.

"It's amazing how quickly things can get done when many work in harmony." A gruff voice commented from his view of the construction below.

"Yes," another deep but feminine voice answered proudly, "And this is only the beginning." 

The conversation between the two ultimate digimon continued as they oversaw the progress the many hustling digimon below made. They discussed how large the hall would be and how beautiful it would shine once completed.

The final digimon, and smallest of the group, stood off to the side. His head hung a bit allowing his diamond eyes to survey his three companies without them noticing his stares. At first he watched as the two ultimate digimon continued their discussion on the progress of the hall, but he soon grew bored with their _grand_ plans and random bickering. After a moment of staring he turned his attention to the final figure on the cliff. 

Matt was off in his own world. His thoughts had consumed all of his attention. Thoughts that sifted from subject to subject so quickly that they mixed together forming one great fear. 'There is so much to be done, and I have so little time to do it. I can't stay here much longer I have to go back to earth…I have to check on TK.' The thoughts and worries were building up, and Matt soon grew nauseous by his own stress. 

"The basic design is very simple. We hallow out the entire north-east mountain range," Ladydevimon's voice pushed its way into Matt's head, bring him out of his thoughts. "There really isn't a problem with the entrances within the valley, it's the openings outside of the walls that worry me. The hall will be open and unprotected on the outside of the valley."

"Maybe," WereGarurumon began, his voice holding great skepticism, which generally indicated the beginning of a fight between the ultimates, "But there has never been an attack on the main shore of the South, so I don't think we have to worry about it too much." He commented with a hint of arrogance.

Ladydevimon rolled her scarlet eyes in annoyance. "Well as the head of security I" 

Her argument was cut off by WereGarurumon's irritated voice. "You're the head of the armies, not main land security, you can't handle both positions; especially with the threat of war constantly on us."

"Well someone has to think about these things, and I am the only one who has been putting forth the effort!" the demon shouted back and soon both she and WereGarurumon were locked in a glaring contest.

"Both of you are right."

The group of three digimon startled out of the heavy silence turned to look at Matt.

Matt had a gleam in his eyes, the gleam that appeared when the burden of a choice was lifted off his mind.

"Ladydevimon you are in charge of the armies, which means battles over shores, a task which will take up all of your time. You will have troops to train and strategies to write; you can't do that and be worried about homeland security." Matt raised a hand to his chin in thought.

In all reality his concerns where more upon his life in the real world rather then his rein in the Digital World, but he felt that as a leader he must selflessly push aside his fears and concentrate on his responsibilities.

"We need anther General, one who can take charge of homeland security." He announced his decision as he lowered his hand back to his side.

"Anyone in mind?" WereGarurumon asked as he turned his yellow eyes to the crowds of working digimon below.

Matt shook his head _no _to show he hadn't decided then walked towards the back of the cliff. The ledge that the four stood upon was fairly small, but large enough for a party. Matt reached the area where cliff met ledge then with an exhausted sigh he fell against the wall; his shoulders slumped as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Matt, maybe you should get some rest," WereGarurumon suggested as he took long strives over to were his partner stood. "You haven't slept since we first met Sorcerymon." The large werewolf stated as his yellow eyes soften at the sight of his worn friend.

Matt again did not reply verbally, he simply shook his head _no_, once more and continued to stare at the dust covered ground, which made up the rocky ledge.

WereGarurumon sighed in defeat, he knew arguing was useless. Matt's mind was set on completing the hall as quickly as possible, so he could secure his rein and return to the real world. Nothing, no matter how practical, was going to stand in his way of completing his task.

Ladydevimon was about to offer her agreement to the werewolf's pleas when commotion from below drew the groups attention to the working digimon.

Shouts of insults range out from the group of digimon, which had gathered. The crowd grew large as more curious workers dropped their loads and rushed to see what the commotion was about. A large circle of on watchers began to form and more insults began to fly. Voices could be heard whispering in hushed tones, as the new comers would ask others within the crowd what was happening. The circle began to grow and the three in the midst of the shouting crowd seemed oblivious to their audience.

Matt pushed himself of the wall and pulled his hands slowly from his Jean pockets. He then walked calmly to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the crowd of shouting digimon.

WereGarurumon, Ladydevimon, and Sorcerymon followed their Lord's lead and silently looked out on the gathering. None of them spoke as they watched more and more workers join the audience.

Matt watched and strained his ears to listen to the shouts. Finally he grew tired of nonsense.

"Find out what's going on." he ordered softly. 

In less then a second Sorcerymon had faded from the cliff, tele-porting himself with a simple spell into the crowd.

From his place in the mess of shoving digimon Sorcerymon saw three digimon in the large circle. Apparently the three creatures were the cause of the commotion.

One of these digimon lay collapsed on the ground while two others stood over his fallen form arguing.

"If he is too weak to handle a simple task like construction then he his too weak for battle!" one of the standing digimon shouted.

"And who are **you **to determine what is too weak and what is not." Came the even reply.

Sorcerymon watched as more insults poured from the crowd, all directed to the yellow fox digimon defending the fallen worker.

The other standing digimon's mouth curled up in disgust as he clinched his large gray palms. "He is useless!" the Apemon growled through his sharp teeth, "He should be left to die." 

The Apemon's yellow fur was now standing up all over his muscular body. He pointed a large gray finger at the lying digimon. "The weak should be left to fend for themselves." 

At this many digimon shouted in agreement, however there were a few which shook their heads showing disagreement. 

__

Sorcerymon, what's happening?

Matt's thought stretched out to the wizard digimon.

__

I'm not certain my Lord, let me see what else I can find out.

Come the reply. And the telepathic conversation came to an end.

"Hyogamon, and all of the weak should be whipped from this land!" the Apemon continued. "This is his own climate and he still can not handle the work."

More shouts from the crowd were heard.

The Renamon turned her almost glowing blue eyes to the painting champion. The ice ogre's large mouth hung open; his razor sharp teeth were covered in the dust of the ground, as he took in long shaky breaths. "We are one body, each of us make up a part of this body. None are exactly alike, we should be treated as individual, and operate as a body." The fox's entrancing voice reached every member of the crowd, causing many of them to fall silent. 

__

My Lord…

Sorcerymon began.

__

I heard.

Came the reply before the sorcerer could continue his report.

__

Send the crowd back to their work, have the Apemon put on front line duty, give the Hyogamon some medical attention…and bring the Renamon to me.

Sorcerymon went over his orders in his mind making sure to log away each command before he stepped from the crowd into the midst of the circle.

All digimon fell silent once Sorcerymon had made his way to the center of the circle.

"Lord Yamato commands that you return to work." 

One simple order and the crowd scampered off; some feeling guilty for abandoning their work, and others greatly curious as to what will happen to the three digimon remaining behind.

Once the crowd had vanished Sorcerymon turned his attention to the cause of the distraction.

"Apemon, I will have you work on the front line," Sorcerymon began as his crystal eyes locked with the ape's coal black ones. "The Sethmon and Bullmon need strong workers helping with the construction."

Apemon pulled himself to his full height then bowed low showing his respect for the general. 

"Hale Lord Yamato, and his wise decisions." The champion stated.

Sorcerymon smiled from behind his cloth knowing that the arrogant digimon would not last long under the pressures of the front line. Sometimes the best punishment for arrogance is giving the fool exactly what they want.

A small Tapirmon came at the physic command of Sorcerymon. The little rookie placed his paws together and bowed awaiting his orders.

"Escort Apemon to the front line. Have him assist the SkullMeramon in lugging the large rocks out of the forming rooms." Sorcerymon's soft voice had an almost cold tone to it when he gave his orders, and the chill of his mystify vocals had everyone operating at full speed.

Tapirmon, having received his orders, motioned for the yellow ape to follow him. Then the two disappeared amongst the crowd of working digimon.

Sorcerymon released a tired sigh as he look towards the fallen Hyogamon. The ice ogre had pulled himself up to his knees but was still slouched with exhaustion and panting with shaky breaths. Normally the small wizard would not hesitate to heal such a lowly creature, in his mind all living beings dissevered compassion, but now he did not have the freedom he once possessed. He had power, and with power came responsibility. His responsibility was to keep face, he had an image of being a general in the most feared race of digimon and he had to uphold to the cold exterior which came with this place.

With only one snap of his fingers two Goburimon came running from their post. The small green goblins bowed then returned to their full height, which was about the height of Sorcerymon himself. 

"Take this Hyogamon to the healers." The champion general ordered. 

The Goburimon nodded their heads and gave a "Yes sir!" before picking up the fallen ice digimon by his shoulders and supporting him with their unusually long arms. The two-hunched digimon practically dragged the weakened champion in the direction of the healer tents. There Wizardmon and Candlemon would use their knowledge of herbs and magic to repair the damages made on the champion from the hard labor. 

Renamon stood silently, with her head hung low and her muscles tensed. She was grateful that Lord Yamato had sent Socerymon to handle the disturbance. Out of all the generals she respected the champion most. In her mind Ladydevimon was far too rash, and slightly bloodthirsty. The ultimate was a great warrior but her mind rarely seemed to go beyond battle. WereGarurumon was still a mystery to the fox digimon. She knew little about him except that he was the partner of her Lord; therefore he was worthy of respect. But she had heard great things about the wizard general. He was well known for his calm rational thinking and his ability to reason under great stress. He was also known for his higher learning and his secretive ways.

"Lord Yamato wishes to speak with you, come with me." 

With this command both Sorcerymon and Renamon started in the direction of the ledge where their Lord awaited them.

~*~*~

Swirls of color dashed about the sky. Blues and greens merged together whirling in circles like water pouring down a drain. The swirling navy and moss clouds blanketed the sky creating an impenetrable wall of color and evaporated air. The sun's light desperately tried to brake through the wall, but all efforts were in vain as the clouds merely grew darker and the spinning motion sped up until the whirling puffs formed funnels all around the stormy sky.

The wind picked up pushing the hot humid air around and beating it against all onlookers. The storm was frightening with streaks of lightening flashing across the sky giving the watchers one brief second of sight then returning them to the ominous dark of the atmosphere. The streaks of ice blue and vibrant pink continued to dance in the painted sky. Lighting the world then fading so quickly that you wondered if the small gift of sight had happened at all. Every flash was a sign, a warning of the next factor in the storm, thunder. The loud crashes following the light show was so strong that it shook mountains or at least it seemed this way by the group watching.

"It seems to have come out of no where." A simple statement was heard above the howling wind and booming thunder.

"Yes… it was most unexpected," came the deep reply.

"Such a show does not appear without reason." Came a third voice, one old with a heavy Irish accent.

A low growl was heard then as a fourth voice spoke. "Yes," the gruff voice began, "But what reason could possibly be found in this storm?"

"This is what we must find out." The second voice spoke again.

At this the four grew quiet. The wind continued to howl and the clouds continued to swirls. Blue and green spun in the sky; the display of color and nature was almost hypnotizing. The funnels in the sky picked up speed and it soon became evident that the barrier of clouds would not hold the forceful twisters much longer. 

Perhaps the oddest thing in this storm was the fact that through it all not a single drop of rain fell. Wind blew, thunder crashed, lighting flashed, but still no rain would fall. The area, which was under attack by this relentless beating of weather, had been evacuated over and hour ago when the first signs of the unusual storm appeared. All digimon gathered what belongs they had and quickly scurried out of the valley that was receiving the strange storm. Now only four stood in the area of tropical forest and woodland mountains. The four stood on the highest mountain, which wasn't very high, but still it served its purpose for the observers, and looked out upon the vacant valley. 

"Can you make anything of this?" the first voice asked hopefully. 

More lightening flashed, illuminating the area for a moment. In the seconds of light four figures could be seen. One stood upon the slope on two legs. He appeared human and his white robe almost made him look like a spectre as it was tossed around his thin frame by the violent wind.

The next two figures stood upon the slope on four legs. Both were giant beasts with massive bodies, but both were so distinctly made that no connection could be found between them. One was a large tiger with massive paws, razor sharp claws, and sturdy limbs. His steel blue and snow-white fur reflected the light whenever the brief flashes occurred. The second figure was a huge turtle standing only a few feet lower then the tiger. The turtle had a brown shell and olive scales; the earthy colors showed his love for nature, however his coloring was the only _normal_ feature he possessed. With three heads and grand oak trees growing from he's back the giant turtle was definitely an amazing sight.

The final figure took no rest on the slope of the mountains, instead his long almost transparent body floated in the sky. His blue coloring seemed to mix with the show of swirling clouds perfectly, but the small white clouds that circle his body, regardless of the atmosphere, stood out in the dark and storming day.

"I'm afraid I don't know what to make of this," the dragon in the sky began, "I have seen nothing like this before."

"Well we can be certain that it's not a natural event. Such a storm must have been caused by magic." The turtle spoke, his Irish accent dripped with a short of careless humor despite the serious moment.

A low growl was heard for the tiger once more. "This must be Deamon's doing. That demon beast should be ripped from the world!" Baihumon's gruff voice had an almost savage tint to it when he spoke of the demon lord.

"Let us not jump to conclusions my Lord." Gennai began as he pushed the hood of his white robe off his head revealing his stern face. "We must also take in account the activity in the south. If a new Lord has been chosen then we should direct our attention there." 

Baihumon snarled at the digital man's warning. "Grant it that I am not pleased with how the south has been handled, but I have no reason to believe that the Nightmare Soldiers would deliberately attack us out of no where. Our brother Zhuqiaomon is wiser then you believe Gennai. He would not allow another war like before. Not under such trying times." 

Gennai was silent for a moment. He's conscience told him that contradicting the Digi-God showed poor character, but his conviction told him that all evil must be eliminated. "Forgive me Master Baihumon, but from what we have seen Zhuqiaomon refuses to interfere with the doings of the south. The Nightmare Soldiers are out of control and should be stopped before they grow in power once more." 

Gennai's argument seemed right, after all the Nightmare Soldiers did bring the first apocalypse upon the Digital World. But still the logic in the young _man's_ words seemed to be diluted by the obvious resentment in his tone, and this small show of emotion brought controversy to the conversation.

"Gennai," Azulongmon began calmly, his majestic voice echoed above the wind and thunder, "I can not help but feel that there is some hiding anger in your opinion. As a guardian of the peace you should be more concerned with resolving conflicts quietly, not blazing into battle with swords gleaming and armies trampling." 

Gennai was quiet. He stood upon the slope for a moment his head hung down and his eyes searched the ground for some answer to this charge. Finally the digital man seemed to give up his quest for excuses and answered the first thought which entered his mind. 

"The Child of Friendship is missing."

These words came out so softly that they were barely audible against the effects of the storm.

"What!" Baihumon shouted, not in anger but in shock and confusion.

"When did this happen?"Xuanwumon asked, his calm rational voice greatly contrasting with Baihumon's gruff shouts.

"There was an attack upon earth two days ago, he disappeared sometime during it." Gennai's head was still hung low as he spoke.

"And why did you not inform us of this earlier?" Azulongmon asked gently.

Gennai's head lifted at the sound of his master's voice. "I only found out about it yesterday morning," he began as he turned back to the three Digi-Gods, "I was hoping he'd turn up before now, but there hasn't been any signs of that happening."

Azulongmon let out a tiered sigh before asking, "Why are we only learning of this now?"

Gennai's head dropped once more as he answered plainly. "I did not see the need of bothering you with such trivial things, after all it is not uncommon for _this _child to go missing."

Azulongmon shook his head in disapproval. "That is beside the point Gennai," he began his voice sounding sterner and even a little cold, "Your orders were to watch over the Digidestined and inform me whenever something as drastic as this happens."

Gennai nodded showing he understood. "Please forgive me Master. I should have told you."

Azulongmon nodded his head as well, but his crimson eyes soon lost their gleam of anger and returned to their compassionate glow.

"Well this is a bit of a predicament isn't it." Xuanwumon stated matter-of-factly.

"If Deamon does attack the Digidestined will be at a disadvantage. The Child of Friendship is one of the most powerful, without him they will loose one of their three megas." Baihumon spoke with worry. Out of all the Digidestined Matt had really grown on him. The boy's rebellious ways reminded him a bit of himself, of course he also favored Davis for his optimism in battle.

"But this brings us to a very interesting question," all attention returned to the large turtle as he spoke, "did Deamon have anything to do with the boy's disappearance?"

"Or perhaps this rumored new Lord is responsible." Baihumon stated reasonably. He really had no reason to suspect the south, but a Digidestined was missing and all personal feelings must be pushed away for the safety of the missing.

"It is a troublesome thing. A child has vanished, an enemy is rising, and a new ruler has possible entered the picture. Now we are left with one question, where do we go from here?" 

Azulongmon's sumptuous voice left an imprint on the minds of his party, bringing their reasoning to new levels as he asked for the impossible, an answer. 

The simple question meant so much more then the five little words that formed it. It was a command to solve a riddle, to seek the truth within the chaos of uncertainty.

"We could always send scouts to the South, and find out exactly what is going on there." Baihumon suggested.

Xuanwumon's first head shook in disagreement while his second head spoke. "The Nightmare Soldiers would surely notice someone outside of their race. We can't risk any digimon's life just to gather information."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Baihumon snapped, his short temper had been driven to its limit by the un-solvable threats.

"Well I can tell all of you one thing," Azulongmon spoke braking any chances of further arguments, "scouts have been monitoring Deamon for months now, and thus far there hasn't been any dramatic changes in his preparation. However I have not received a report in several days, it is possible that the scouts I sent have been destroyed."

This announcement brought silence to the group as all their faces soften with grief.

More lightening flashed, more thunder crashed, and the group of respected beings remained silent. The swirling clouds picked up in speed, and it was obvious that several twisters had touched down in the distance.

"I have a theory…" Gennai began and waited until the eyes of the three Digi-Gods were upon him before he continued. "Perhaps this _storm_ is here to distract us from the _real_ problem." He paused for a moment waiting for the grand digimon to respond.

"Go on Gennai." Azulongmon commanded for the group of three.

"Deamon knows we are on to him, perhaps he sent this disturbance to distract us while he prepares a real attack, possibly an attack on earth. The Digidestined still aren't at full strength, and now one of them is missing… what better time to attack then when your opponent is away?"

"It is possible, but if that is the case then why have we not heard any signs of an attack?" Azulongmon questioned the group.

"Maybe Deamon's actions have nothing to do with the Digidestined or us." Xuanwumon stated causing bewildered looks to strain the other's faces. "What I mean is, maybe Deamon's war is with this new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." The giant tortuous clarified, "After all, Deamon has wanted to be in control of the South for sometime, but someone else was chosen as a candidate. Maybe his battle is against the South."

"That is possible…" Azulongmon agreed as he thought the digital god's words over carefully. "It is certainly more plausible then Deamon attacking earth."

"Yes, but that still does not explain the missing child." Baihumon reminded. The majestic tiger's yellow eyes searched Gennai's cerulean orbs for some explanation to his concern.

"I'm afraid Master Baihumon, that I have no answer to give you. There is no"

Gennai's excuses were cut off by the Digi-God of the west's angered voice.

"You know something Gennai!" the mega growled, "Or you at least suspect something. Now tell us what you know!"

Gennai coward at the metal empire digimon and his angered words. Azulongmon and Xaunwumon remained silent waiting for the Digital man to answer the infuriated tiger's demands.

"I think that…well that it is possible…" the brunette began uncertainly, "that the Child of Friendship left his world on his own, and that he may…he may have a connection to the new Lord of the Nightmare Soldier." Gennai practically shouted out his final thoughts then grew pale as he realized what he had said.

The Digi-Gods were stunned, not many things surprised them, but this news was shocking. The three megas have watched over the Digidestined from the begging of their adventures, and they felt they knew the children well enough to guess their moves and roles in the Digital World. Matt vanishing, and possibly having a connection to the Nightmare Soldiers was not only unexpected it was also disturbing.

"What has brought you to believe this?" the blue dragon broke the silence first.

"It just seems to fit; Matt was the only Digidestined present during Deamon's attacks. And now he is in the Digital World, and he didn't use a digi-port to open the gate. I'm not sure if he does have anything to do with this, but I just get this feeling that there is something more to him then we original believed. I simply feel that he will play a much larger and much more uncertain role in the Digital World then we had first thought."

Gennai summed up all of his thoughts and theories in this one short explanation then went silent waiting for some short of response.

The wind picked up some more and a warm mist began to settle upon the valley reaching its way slowly to the mountaintops. The fog was heavy, hot, and sickening. The moist air clung to hair; skin and clothes giving them a sticky saturated feeling. The storm showed no signs of ending as more funnels hit the ground ripping through the earth, tossing trees and homes around and thrashing them to the ground with heavy blows. The twisters in the valley and the green and blue swirling clouds were tolerable, but the rising mist made the climate even drearier. The air grew so thick and heavy that it began to suffocate the four watching the storm.

"This is an unusual theory, and one that mustn't be spread." Azulongmon stated matter-of-factly. "Here is what we will do. Gennai you will continue to watch over the Digidestined and see what you can find out about the missing boy. If he has not been found in three days I will go to the South and search for him there. Until then we will abide by the laws of the Digi-Core and leave the Nightmare Soldiers to their own. If Deamon shows any signs of attacking then we will have to help the reaming children as best as we can."

"Let us just hope that Deamon does not attack until the children are all together once more." Baihumon added more calmly then before.

The group said their good-byes and prepared to return to their designated post. Before they parted ways, each going to their own region, Xaunwumon turned to his friends and spoke one last thought.

"Well my friends, I believe that a new era in Digital history has begun."

~*~*~

And now Matt was alone. It wasn't strange though, he had chose to be alone, knowing that it would only last for a few minutes. After the conflict between Apemon and Renamon was settled he sent WereGarurumon to oversee the progress on the front line, making sure that no mistakes were made that could cause flaws in the structures stability. Then word came that shipments of crops were being brought in from the fields outside of the valley. Knowing that a great deal of food would be needed to keep the workers in good health, he gratefully accepted the crates of vegetables and fruit. Of course anything brought in from a different region needed inspection so he ordered Ladydevimon to tend to that small task.

And now he was alone. For a while after the two ulitmates had left he simple stood at the ledge and looked out on the valley. He watched his kingdom, his people, he stood still and silent as he watched the movement of his world. But eventually other thoughts entered his mind and he soon found himself dwelling on everything but the South. 

He was exhausted, and pushed beyond human boundaries. His body was weak from work and lack of food, and his tried mind kept screaming for a brake. Begging him to shut down for a moment and simply rest, but he refused his physical needs and continued to look upon his kingdom.

Soon his tried mind made a final argument. It began to flash images of his brother and friends, it played with every fear he had and made him jump at every trick of the wind. Exhaustion leads to delusion and delusion to insanity and now Matt found himself on brink of reality.

"O bitter is it to abide

In weariness always:

At dawn to sigh for eventide,

At eventide for day.

Thy noon hath fled: thy sun hath shone.

The brightness of they day is gone:

What need to lag and linger on

Till life be cold and gray?" 

The words came out as a whisper and simply saying them brought a smile to Matt's worn face. He knew that almost all the pain and weariness he felt was self-inflicted; he could pass the burden of watching over the land to another for a couple of hours. All he needed was some sleep, and the illusion, fears, and ghostly images plaguing his mind would vanish in the strength of his well rested will.

"But there is no rest for the weary…" he spoke to himself as he pulled his gaze away from the valley and turned to walk to edge of the cliff.

No one was with him now, and the feelings of loneliness and quiet now seemed strange. He fell against the cliff, hitting the stone hard enough to shoot pain through his sore back. For awhile he didn't move. He leaned against the cliff dwelling on the pain in his back and giving some relief to his tried legs. 

'Construction on the hall is ahead of schedule. Food is being brought in and put into storage. A shift change is not scheduled for another couple of hours.'

The blonde thought to himself, as he went over the list of things needing to be done that day.

'I'm probably the most over worked under paid teen in the world.' He thought with a small smile. 

Slowly a hand made its way from hanging loosely at his side to his pocket. His hands had changed so much over the last couple of days. The callous, but well kept limbs were now stained with dust which accumulated and then caked to his sweaty flesh. Dirt and small traces of dried blood settled on his hands and under his fingernails. Blisters and small cuts gave color to the otherwise white and brown flesh. Climbing mountains and working on the first hallowing of the hall left scares as reminders of the work passed and the work yet to come.

Matt looked down at his right hand; his eyes squinted as he looked down at the small metal instrument that seemed to find its way there on its own. It required him no thought to reach in his pocket and pull out his harmonica, overwhelming emotion was all that was needed and somehow the instrument would simply be in his hand. 

Slowly the weakening teen slid down the cliff until he landed on the dusty ground. He didn't seem to care that his already torn and stained pants were now covered in a thin layer of dirt, nor did he seem to notice the growling noises his stomach was making. 

All of his concentration was on the small instrument griped tightly in his hand. He soon stretched out his legs enjoying the feeling of release from the strain of standing. His legs muscles relaxed and the rest of his body followed. He never released until this moment how much he took the little things for garnet. He had been pushed to his limit and now he was grateful even for the little things like a moment of quiet or a chance to sit. 

'Amazing, I use to hate just sitting, it made me feel useless and unproductive, now I think I'd sell a kidney if I could just stay like this for half an hour.'

Matt smiled; his champed lips curved up in contempt as he at last raised the small instrument in his hand to his lips. The metal on his dry lips felt cool and soothing. He blew into the harmonica a few times, testing both the instrument and his skill, seeing if either of them had changed or faded over the past few days. Once it became obvious that both his harmonica and his musical talent still remained intact he continued to blow.

At first he played a slow blues song, one of the first things he had ever learned to play on the harmonica, but he soon grew tired of the classic sound and began to change it up a bit. First a few notes that did not follow the original song, but still fit with the tone, then a few more notes until at last he was playing something totally different. 

It was still a simple song, but the notes were soft and sad. It was a song he had written himself on his first journey to the Digital World, right after the incident with Puppetmon and Cherrymon.

Matt cringed slightly as the memories of what Cherrymon had done to him entered his mind, but he quickly pushed them aside and turned all of his focus to the song he was playing. 

The song seemed to carry itself, as each soulful note floated from the harmonica to the air. The notes filled the tainted air bring a small sincere purity to the air. Much like the purity in Matt's heart, they clogged the cold world with a small second of genuine love and friendship before getting caught by the vicious wind and being tossed about until they were diluted with the poison of the world. But still this didn't bother Matt, he continued to play reveling in the small comfort his music gave him.

The sound of two sets of feet softly pounding up the mountainside brought Matt out of his music. He wasn't certain how long he had been play his harmonica, but the small metal instrument had done more then his wishes. The time of sitting gave his body new strength and the time of silence cleared him troubled mind a bit. The time of play the harmonica did wonders, poring out all of the aggression, anger, fear, and depression that the blonde had been holding inside. It channeled all of his emotions and with each blew it felt like he had blown out a small piece of the darkness within him. 

Now he had lowered the instrument to his lap and sat quietly. His only thoughts were of breathing, breathing in the cool fresh mountain air. He had blown out most of his sorrow, now he was ready to breathe in new strength.

The footsteps of the mountainside grew louder indicating that the two traveling up the mountain were getting closer to the ledge.

Matt breathed in deeply, taking in the new air of his home, and released, letting out the little frustration he had left. Then he stood, with one last reluctant but grateful look he returned his harmonica to its respected place in his pocket, and turned so that he could greet the new comers which were now climbing over the last set of boulders before they reached the ledge.

Sorcerymon and Renamon made their way up the remainder of the mountain. At first the two digimon traveled by foot, since the cliff wasn't very step or rocky, but as they reached the top they began to use other methods of travel. Sorcerymon lifted from the ground and floated slowly over the obstacles of rock, while Renamon hoped from one bolder to another with perfect grace and ease.

Finally the two digimon reached the ledge and were greeted by a standing Matt.

Matt stood on the ledge holding his body up to its full height. His eyes watched the two digimon as they approached him. The cerulean orbs were cold and held a darker tint to them then usual. His face was set and impassive, and his arms were crossed over his chest as he fixed his gaze on the fox digimon.

Both Renamon and Sorcerymon bowed low and remained that way until Matt spoke.

"Leave us." 

The blonde ordered, his voice sounding so icy that it sent shivers down both the digimon spines.

Sorcerymon pulled himself up to his full height knowing that the commanded was meant for him. At first he thought that his lord was going to commend the rookie digimon for her boldness and compassion, but the cold expression chiseled on the teen's face seemed to say otherwise.

Sorcerymon did not feel that the Renamon deserved any punishment, even if she had done something wrong, but still he was not going to argue with his Lord's orders. So with a nod the wizard digimon stepped off the ledge and floated down to the valley floor. He stood still on the ground for a moment as he tried to shake off the feeling that his Lord's eyes had sent through him. Once he felt he had control over his mind again he headed into the crowd preparing to over-see the outer construction of the hall.

For a moment Matt did not move. The Renamon still kneeled upon the dusty ground, her head hung down in both respect and fear. The teen's eyes of ice were still locked on her and his expression had not changed.

"So this is the rookie that caused all that commotion earlier." Matt's voice was low and held a hint of mockery.

The Renamon did not respond nor did she flinch under Matt's looming form. Her outside remained still and quiet, while her inside secretly coward, not in fear of pain or cruelty, but in fear and reverence of her Lord, who now seemed so much more untouchable then before.

"Well stand up," Matt ordered his voice still mocking, but not quite as low, "or at least look at me when I speak to you." 

The second command came out much colder and immediately the Renamon was on her feet, though her head still hung low.

At last Matt moved. He dropped his arms to the side and paced a few steps before stopping once more. His eyes were still blanketed in an icy glare, while his lips curled up in an amused smirk.

"Am I really so repulsive, that you won't even look at me?" he asked this time his voice was not cold, and the jeering words were directed more at himself rather then the fox.

He knew that at this point he must look like gutter trash, with his hair dirty and matted, dust collecting on his skin, and his clothes torn and tattered, but still he found some humor in this. He was always known for his sharp clean well groomed look, and now he was in the middle of the most important thing he had ever done in his life and he looked like filth that just pulled itself out of a decaying cardboard box. 

'Just goes to show that you can't judge things by their appearances, nor is goodness only found in beautiful things.'

Renamon brought her head up so that she could meet the eyes of the Digidestined of Friendship. Her neon blue eyes glowed from their black sockets and once she meet Yamato's gaze she could not tear herself away.

Matt looked into the fox, he could feel all the uncertainty that the rookie was feeling and he could tell that part of her was entranced by him while the other part was terrified.

"You caused a lot of problems today." Matt stated matter-of-factly as he began to pace once more. "You broke your line in work" he started his voice rising a little, "You distracted other workers" the words were coming out harsher now, "and you did all of this for what? For a worthless champion who could not even handle the work in his own region."

Renamon's head hung low once more as she was now afraid to look in her infuriated Lord's eyes. 

"Well how do you answer to this?" the teen's voice lowered back to a talking level, but the question still came out cold and angered.

"Why is he worthless?"

The reply came out as barely a whisper. 

"What?" Matt asked, he hadn't expected that answer. His voice was still cold, but his eyes had softened a bit.

"Why is he worthless? The labor was hard; he carried more then his share... And not every creature is built for labor." Renamon spoke softly, though it was easy to tell that she was steadily growing angry.

She had great respect for her Lord, but in her mind compassion to your own was more important then completing a grand hall.

Matt mentally smiled, but his face remained stern. 

"And who are you to determined if it was his share or not?" the teen retorted. 

"Forgive me my Lord." Renamon replied as she bowed low showing that she meant no disrespect.

Matt nodded accepting her apology.

Renamon returned to her full height and for a moment she simply stared at Matt. Matt returned her gaze, but with less interest.

Finally the blonde grew tired of the staring contest and pulled his eyes away. Then he walked pass the fox like digimon to the edge of the ledge.

Renamon watched the teen closely. When he was on Trica's Citadel, standing before the multitude of Nightmare Soldiers, he seemed so out of place. Not in the since that he didn't belong in the South, but simply out of place in life. He was like a ray of light, untainted and beautiful, amidst the cruel shadowed worlds. To the fox this was so unusual, even in the human world. And her Lord seemed to exist in a dimension all its own. In a world where he could see everything, feel everything, and effect everything, without want of praise or even acknowledgment.

But now Matt no longer stood proudly upon the sacred cliffs, now he was reachable.

"Why do you care?" 

Renamon was brought out of her thoughts as Yamato's voice reached her ears. His voice no longer sounded cold or harsh, but it was soft; so soft that Renamon was certain that without her advanced sense of hearing the words would not have reached her.

"My Lord?" she asked, uncertain of what he meant.

Matt still did not turn to face the rookie; he kept his eyes upon the valley floor and his back turned towards her.

"Why do you care about what happens to an ogre digimon? You are even a lower level yet you did not pass out from the work." Matt's voice was still soft and the aggression in his tone was replaced by an uncertain, searching air.

Renamon was confused; she couldn't understand how Matt's voice could go from cruel to gentle so quickly.

"Compassion is not truly compassion if it is only for a select few. If it is going to be given then it should be given to all, not just those who suffer, and not just those who deserve it." 

All was quiet after Renamon gave her explanation. 

Matt was silent, his back was still turned, and he still seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Soon the quiet became over powering. The uncertainty and silence hung in the air like a film coating the two in a sticky inescapable moment. But this coating weighed down too heavily on Matt, and he soon grew tiered of the silence.

"Uniquely put." 

He finally stated as answer to Renamon's earlier words.

"Is there a better way to put it, my Lord?" the yellow fox asked in genuine curiosity.

A small almost remorseful chuckle escaped Matt's lips as he turned to face the rookie.

"Better no, simpler yes." Came the answer as Matt walked away from the ledge of the cliff.

Renamon could only raise an eyebrow at her Lord's words.

Matt noticed the digimon's confusion and decided to explain what he meant. "A simpler way to put it would be, if he deserved it then it would not be compassion."

Renamon was now very lost. Yamato's mood seemed to have turned around completely, as he went from cold and angered to quiet and gentle. His body was no longer tensed with aggression, nor was his voice cold and low. He spoke as he normally did, quietly. But the most dramatic change was his eyes. The icy glare had faded and was replaced by a warm, kind stare. The color of his eyes was no longer dark and clouded, but had returned to the soft by intense blue that they generally were.

"I don't understand…?" Renamon explained as she tried to piece together what her Lord's sudden mood swing could mean.

Matt laughed not in amusement but in a sincere happiness. "I had to be certain." He explained as he flashed her a mischievous grin, "and now I am."

"I…" the fox digimon began, but was cut off.

"I needed to make sure you were the one I was looking for, and the fact that you didn't sacrifice your morals out of fear or greed proves that you are perfect for the job." Matt replied his voice still light with laughter.

"Job?" Renamon asked suspiciously.

Matt's smiled widened. "Renamon I would like **you **to be my final general." 

Renamon was shocked; as was obvious by the way she stammered backwards a few steps.

"I needed a digimon I could trust, and I have found that in you."

"My Lord,… I am a simple rookie. A low level, and it is very unlikely that I will evolve further." The yellow fox tried to explain rationally, although she was still taken back by the teen's request.

Matt's smile dropped a little, but his eyes still glistened with glee. 

"Renamon," Yamato began softly, "in life we are given very few chances to do something great. We spend our life waiting and waiting for that one moment where we can make the decision that will ultimately shape who we are. We wait and we tell ourselves that when that moment comes everything will be right. But then the chance does arrive and we don't see it because we're too busy looking for something grand and breath taking, or we do see it and we gather this idea that we are too weak. Then the moment passes us by and we never get a chance like it again. Well this is your moment; this is where you will make the decision that will stay with you forever. No one knows of my decision, and I won't look down upon if you choose not to accept the position. Whatever you do it must be your choice, and it must be what you truly want to do." Matt stopped for a second, taking a deep breath before he added this finally thought.

"We are all the same in the end, we are all searching for our place in the universes. Just make sure that when the door to your place opens you are not too distracted or too afraid to walk in. Because once that moment ends and the door is shut, all you'll be left with is regret and emptiness."

Renamon was silent, now her mind was racing with new information, fear, doubt, and in the middle of all of that was that one question, "will I go in?". 

Matt was quiet, he watched as Renamon's bright blue eyes dashed from on pebble on the ground to another. The fox like digimon seemed to have all her focus on the gravel and dust covered ledge, and it felt as though she was asking the slab of rock for the answer to her question.

'This is my path, my door, and this is my chance, my chance to make a difference in this rising kingdom.' 

"Lord Yamato," Renamon at last began, "I would be honored to serve as your final general." The fox's words came out firm, as she looked her Lord in the eyes then bowed low homage. 

Matt's face lit up and a smile spread across his once worn features. He clapped his hands together once, then held his two palms for a moment. "Great!" he stated cheerfully, his voice loosing any commanding tone it once had.

Renamon looked up and couldn't help but crack a small smile at the teen's enthusiasm.

__

Sorcerymon…

Matt thought, calling out to his third general.

__

My Lord

Came the reluctant reply. Sorcerymon was still uncertain of what Matt had planed to do with Renamon, and that uncertainty clearly showed in his tone.

__

I want you, WereGarurumon, and Ladydevimon to return to the ledge. I have something to speak with you about.

Matt answered, ignoring the fright Sorcerymon was trying so hard to control.

__

As you wish

Sorcerymon answered and then the conversation ended as the wizard went to carry out his orders and Matt returned his attention to Renamon.

'I have really got to get Sorcerymon to lighten up a bit.' Matt thought to himself with a smirk.

Matt was about to speak with Renamon about some of her duties when suddenly three white flashes appeared. The three rays of light settled on the ledge for a moment, temporarily preventing both Matt and Renamon from seeing, then faded leaving three digimon in there place.

Matt smiled in greeting of the three new comers.

"That was quick." He spoke to Socerymon with a smile.

Sorcerymon nodded his head and tried not to laugh. When he transported the two ultimates and himself to the ledge, he was certain that he'd find his Lord in the same cold state, but the smile plastered on Matt's face, and the ease in the air made it obvious that the teen was not angered any longer.

'That is, if he was truly angered at all.' The wizard thought to himself.

"You couldn't have waited five minutes?" Ladydevimon asked looking at Matt in annoyance. "I had one last crate to inspect and then I would have been done, but you just had to have your little meeting now, didn't you."

The female demon now had her long arms crossed over her chest with her scarlet nails taping on the leather sleeves of her cat suit impatiently.

Matt quickly fell into mock defense. "Don't look at me, I asked Sorcerymon to go get you. I didn't expect the three of you to just pop in like that." 

Ladydevimon then turned her irritated glare to Sorcerymon, who had his gloved hands up protectively, bracing himself for the verbal attack that was sure to come.

"Well I for one am glad you called this meeting. There is an Apemon on the front line that keeps bossing everyone around. I wall really growing impatient with him." WereGarurumon stated stepping into the conversation before Ladydevimon could throw any insults at the small wizard.

Matt cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him before WereGarurumon and Ladydevimon could brake into another argument.

"I have called the three of you back to make an announcement." He explained his voice rising over the sound of construction below. "I have chosen the Nightmare Soldier's final general." He announced his voice commanding and firm, but still friendly.

"Who?" Ladydevimon asked with a smile, excited to see who her new comrade would be.

Matt smiled then raised a hand and gestured to Renamon, who had gone unnoticed since the three generals arrived.

WereGarurumon, Ladydevimon, and Sorcerymon turned their heads in unison to see the yellow fox standing off to the side timidly.

Renamon not only felt uncomfortable, but also out of place. Matt and the other three generals were obviously very close; as was evident by the way they treated the teen more like a friend then a Lord. 

She was also very surprised. The three generals arrived and immediately they began joking and arguing with each other and their Lord like siblings. 

"Renamon will be in charge of homeland security as well as my personal security." Matt went on explaining the rookie's purpose.

Matt was done with his _speech_, and went quiet. He didn't need to give the generals an explanation as to why he chose Renamon, although he would if asked, but since none of his comrades seemed overly interested he simply stopped. His generals never questioned his decision, so they weren't about to begin now.

"Well, congratulation Renamon!" WereGarurumon began his snout spread out a bit as he offered the quiet rookie a grin. "I'm sure you will do a fine job." He stated with encouragement.

Sorcerymon, who was always the quiet one in the group, nodded in agreement with the higher-ranking General.

Now the group waited for Ladydevimon's response. The fallen angel gave away nothing with her composed facial expressions, and the long wait brought tension to the group.

"A rookie…" she whispered to herself in thought. Then her emotionless face shifted and a smirk appeared on her deep red lips. "I love it, diversity in levels, gender, and type." 

WereGarurumon and Sorcerymon's faces dropped in astonishment. For a while the two just stared at their friend in amazement. Ladydevimon didn't seem to notice the attention she was receiving; her mind was going over the things that the generals could do for their people and their Lord.

"You know," Matt began bringing everyone's attention back to him. "I never really thought of that. We have a dark, ultimate, virus type; a humanoid, champion, data type, and now we have an animal, rookie, vaccine type."

WereGarurumon's gravely voice released something that seemed like both a growl and a chuckle. "Quite and interesting group you've brought together Matt."

"Yes" Ladydevimon agreed, and for a moment it seemed to Matt that there might be peace in the group. That is until a sly smile inched its way onto the demon's lips. "Of course **you're** not in that list." The white hair maiden chinned in an airy sort of way.

"Oh great…" Matt muttered under his breath as he prepared his ears for the shouts and insults that were about to fly.

"And what exactly is that suppose to mean!" WereGarurumon snarled out defensively.

"Nothing" Ladydevimon reply quickly with a candy coated tone.

"If it meant nothing then you wouldn't have said it!" WereGarurumon howled back the volume of his voice was fueled by his rising temper.

"Why can't you ever just drop things!" the fallen angel shouted back in annoyance.

"Why can't you just stop starting stuff!"

And it was on. The two ultimates continued to shout and verbally slaughter one another.

Matt sighed and then shook his head in frustration.

'It going to be one of those reins.' He thought to himself as he pressed his temples, fighting back the headache that was threatening to come on.

Renamon seemed lost. Her eyes darted back from one ultimate to the other. She was confused and a bit amused by the show the two highest generals were putting on.

Sorcerymon sighed loud enough to bring Renamon's attention to him. He waited a moment, listening two a few more of the clever insults being shouted before he smiled and addressed the fox.

"Welcome to the happy family."

And the two laughed as the ultimates fell into a staring contest, and Matt smiled slightly at all of them.

~*~*~

The black mist hung in the air obscuring images, making what was real seem fuzzy and unfocused. The chill, that always settled over the world of dark water, black mist, and decaying land, seemed stronger and more bone aching then ever. The armies of digimon lined on the beach, of gray sand and rotten driftwood, mumbled to one another in hushed voices. Each was ready for their task. Each knew that soon their master would call to them and set them loose on the human realm. And each was overwhelmed with anticipation, their bloodthirsty eyes shined with cruelty. Their dry mouths craved the taste of human flesh, and soon their master would give them what they wanted. Soon their Master would give them the human world, and they would gladly take this gift. They would seize the unsuspecting victim's drink them dry and poison their world with the black mist that clouded the beach.

Out on the ocean, many miles from the troops set upon the beach stood a palace. A fortress, with walls not built to keep intruders out, but place there to keep all victims in. Inside this palace, past the crumbling walls and through the dark halls stood four digimon. 

One was a large teddy bear like figure. The puppet digimon was stitched together with dark thread, his gray fur was cores and his left hand had been ripped from his arm leaving torn fabric and leather straps in its place. He slumped over slightly, his small tattered cap moving in the wind, and his beady black eyes stood out in their bright red sockets.

The second digimon was a large dragon, with scales of firebrick red, razor sharp talons, and a slithering body. He floated an inch above the ground, his long tail twitching every few second, sending the arrowhead like razor on the tip back and forth. His wings were long and their color seemed like that of fumes from a raging fire. His rib cage was placed on the outside of his body and his thin sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes made his face a fearful sight to behold.

Standing between the first two digimon was a small creature, but perhaps the most hideous of the four. Broad shoulders were slumped over and his head was bowed. He leaned on his bone like staff as though he was old and decrepit. His body was a bare skeleton, but his structure was not white, like most skeletons were. His body was a deep red, as though the blood that might have once existed when this creature was more alive had seeped into the white limbs and stained them as a reminder that all dead was once living. His coal black skull was all that could be seen of his head, but if he lifted it slightly then red orbs would shine from the empty black of inside his head. He stood still and quiet, paying no attention to the two beasts on either side of him.

The final digimon was Deamon, demon lord of the digital world and master of the Dark Ocean. The haunting beast stood before his three commanders, his faded, ghostly eyes gleamed with cruelty and hints of glee.

"All is in place and soon we will begin our slaughter" the mega's hallow voice dripped with his desire to crush all light. "I will make the whole human realm suffer for that boy's mistake. He has taken what is rightfully mine, and he will suffer by knowing that he brought an end to his world." The words flowed from Deamon's lips as though they he took pleasure just in saying them.

"Has word been sent on how many Nightmare Soldiers left the South?" the red dragon asked, his voice hissing out each world like a serpent.

"No Megidramon, I _still_ awaited that report." The demon lord replied as a hint of irritation entered his cold voice.

"You can be certain it will be many, who in their right mind would serve a child." Warumonzamon stated his almost mechanic voice scratched and cracked with certain words.

Deamon laughed at the thought of the unsuspecting warriors. The grandest race of all digimon, leaving their own home, betraying their own kind. Since the beginning of time the Dark Area digimon were over looked. Their kind was considered foolish, ignorant of the ways of war and life. The demons and beast knew only of death, nothing of strategy. However the idea that Dark Area digimon were weak was never common, Apocolamon proved how power their kind was. But still they were looked down upon, always second in the line of battle. 

The Nightmare Soldiers were always the most feared digimon, but soon that title would belong to Deamon and his kind. He would eliminate any speculation that the Nightmare Soldiers were greater then Dark Digimon and he would do it in the most tantalizing of ways. He would put them against one another. It was delicious, the idea of the race of warriors fighting and destroying one another. 

The sound of three hits against the large iron door, to the hall, echoed out, reverberating off the walls and filling the room with a clanging ring.

"What is it!" Deamon snapped angered that his malicious thoughts were interrupted.

Slowly one of the large doors crept open. A small flame appeared first from the shadows of the passageway. Then white was seen followed by brown until a small rookie had appeared in the entrance.

"Well?" this time it was the Warumonzamon that spoke. "What do you want you pathetic slab of wax?" 

"Forgive me for interrupting…" the Candlemon began fearfully, "but Ponchomon has return from the South."

"Send him in." Deamon ordered flatly.

The little Candlemon bowed and then quickly scurried out the door hoping to leave the presence of his Master and the demented doll digimon before he angered them further.

Less then a second after the rookie had vanished back into the hall the sound of goul-ish laughter flooded the room. Green smoke began to materialize to the right of the four digimon. The particles of green fumes spread and settled on the air for a moment. Then more howling laughter was heard and the green smoke began to draw in to one area, compacting itself tightly until a figure began to form. Soon the smoke became solid, or as solid as a ghost could be, and a green cactus was soon seen floating several inches above the icy stone floor.

A growl made its way from Deamon's throat as he looked upon the Mexican ghost.

"What took you so long!" the demon demanded as his hazy, gray eyes narrowed on the prickly champion.

"Forgive me master," the Ponchomon begged as he began to laugh like an insane molester who had just accomplished one of the cruelest attacks. "I was a bit delayed." 

Deamon did not respond to this, but he was pleased. The eerie glee in the ghost's voice proved that he had accomplished his task.

"How many?" Warumonzamon asked excitingly, "How many left the South?"

Ponchomon laughed once more, he then did a back flip in the air. "Let's just say…more than expected." The ghost giggled then let his long red tong hang out a bit as though he were drooling at the very thought of the Nightmare Soldier's new predicament.

Warumonzamon did not seem pleased with this answer so he crossed his chubby arms over his round chest and growled in annoyance.

"A third." The Ponchomon answered finally. 

Warumonzamon's mouth hung open slightly. Megidramon smiled showing off his tiny razor like teeth then hissed pleased with the number.

"Definitely more than expected." Megidramon's long fork tongue traced over his teeth once, his yellow eyes shined with deranged thoughts of war and demise.

"And has this third agreed to serve me?" the mega demon questioned bringing hid commanders attention back to the issue.

"Yes my Master." Ponchomon replied folding his body over in an unusual bow. "There were a few factions that went off on their own, but I did not count them in my figuring. If you include _those_ Nightmare Soldiers, then over a third left."

A boisterous laugh was heard from Warumonzamon. "With so many on our side it will be easy to destroy that brat and take both his world and the Digital World. Let us move now, let us demolish them all with one shift stroke!" the gray bear waved his hand to indicate his point as his eyes softened in a daydream like state.

"Foolisssh idea…."

The group of evil companions looked to their final comrade. SkullSatanmon had not spoken or even moved during the entire debriefing. The hideous demon kept his head bowed but his hands had tightened their grasp upon his staff. His voice was cold, icy, and it sent shivers down the other commander's backs. His words flowed from his open jaw sounding like something between a whisper and a hiss. 

The commanders were frozen for a moment. SkullSatanmon's voice hung in the air mingling with the wind and filling the veins of the others presence with a joint rotting chill.

After a moment of discarded thoughts the ultimate teddy bear regain composure. No longer feeling squeamish the puppet digimon growled threateningly, hoping to regain some of his pride.

"And what would you suggest we do?" 

SkullSatanmon still did not move. The question was dragged out by the silence that followed. Just as it seemed that the red demon would ignore the question entirely his head moved. The black skull lifted slowly, just enough so that the top of his red glowing eyes could be seen.

"Death is too quick…. We make them suffer." 

"Yes," Deamon's voice was soon heard. "We make them suffer. We force all of them, both humans and digimon to watch their home be burned. Then we hunt each man, woman, and child down and slaughter them leaving their mutilated bodies to die in the gutter, where they belong." The demon lord licked his lips as though he could taste the blood already splattered upon his face. "But first we must make this little boy suffer."

Deamon let this threat hang for a moment as he floated back to his place on the stone steps where his throne stood.

Dull gray eyes locked on the slouching demon and a smile crept upon his face. "SkullSatanmon, you know what I will have you do."

The digimon built in the image that all children saw Lucifer, looked up slowly then nodded.

"Then go." Deamon ordered. But before the almost lazy fallen angel could move his master added this last command. "And try to have a little fun while you're out." 

The demented demon smiled at his lord's command then bowed before vanishing. SkullSatanmon left behind three very confused evil digimon, and one smirking Lord.

~*~*~

Matt ran his pale fingers over the smooth opal table. The table stood three inches above his waste line, the legs were elegantly carved with imprints of vines and morning glories starting from the bottom and working their way up the legs. The opal was cool under the teen's callous and scratched fingertips and he almost purred at the feeling of the gem table. He looked at his fingers once more as they streaked the white table, he noticed every feature about his hand and he took note of how much the simple limb had changed. And it was only over night. They went from simple, to battered, and now they were almost unrecognizable. His flesh was no longer dirty and his nail were trimmed and shined with health. The silver rings with strange digi-code on his thumb; first finger and ring finger caught the light, reflecting some of the dim rays, showing off just how polished they were.

Matt soon pulled his hand away from the table and walked lazily to the next article of furniture in the room. A chair, tall and carved out of dark mahogany. The legs and arms of the chair were carved with the digital constellations. Patterns of stars reached from the ground all the way up to the tall headrest. The cousin on the head and backrest was a deep blue velvet.

Matt approached the chair cautiously; he ran his fingers over one arm studding the feel of the wood and the design of the patterns. He then slowly lowered himself to the seat as though he was afraid to sit in his own chair. He rested his full weight on the chair, and the wood didn't creak from the new strain. The teen's eyes locked on the velvet seat. He could still see a great deal of the seat, a sing that the chair was much larger then needed. He lowered his hand timorously to the blue fabric, afraid that if he touched the fair chair wrong it would brake, and such a beautiful thing deserved to last forever. His fingers traced over the fabric as he looked over his new room taking in every timbre of the room. 

'What is the pint in making everything so extravagant?' he asked himself with an almost bitter tone. 'A plain oak table and chair would have been fine.'

Still Matt decided not to dwell on the though of how magnificent, not to mention large, his room was. He had just woken from his first night in his new room. The hall had been completed **much **quicker then expected. There were a few rooms that didn't yet hold the beauty of this one, but apparently his subjects felt his room was more important then meeting halls and training grounds.

The teen ran a hand through his now clean and nicely combed blonde hair. The golden locks staid in his loose grasp for a moment before falling free from his spread finger and sliding back into their place. He was clean, feed, and now well rested. His first night in his very large bed had gone rather well. The bed rails were made of fine polished silver, and the mattress and pillows were stuffed with Swanmon feathers. All of his blankets were made of soft light material, but they kept him warmer then his electric blanket in the real world.

Matt leaned forward and picked up on of the many documents scattered on the large white table. His crystal eyes went over the words that he now had memorized. This particular bill would be the official order for the construction teams to begin work on rebuilding the four citadels surrounding Trica. He would sign it and present it to the city and tribe leaders after the hall was completely finished. That meant he had a day or two with no real work to do.

'Give a speech to the tribe of BlueMeramon from the western mountains. Brief with generals. Audience with Lords from neighboring kingdoms. That's going to be difficult. I'm just glad that these neighboring countries are all island countries. That means none of them have loyalties to any of the Digi-Gods.'

A knock on the large mahogany doors brought Matt out of his thoughts. He quickly tossed the document back to the table allowing the clipped pieces of paper to get lost amongst the rest of his scattered work. He then turned his sight to the door before answering the knock.

A simple "come in" was spoken and the door soon opened.

Large clawed paws pushed the great door open then the buff figure walked in shutting the door behind him.

"I came to see how you were doing." 

Matt smiled at the sight of his partner. "A lot better now that you're here." He replied as he stood from his seat and went to greet the werewolf.

WereGarurumon smiled with pleasure. He was glad to see Matt in such health. It was amazing how one night of good sleep can make such a difference.

Matt leaned against his opal table and WereGarurumon lowered himself to the marble ground. "I know I'm a bit early for the meeting. If you would like some more time alone then I'll…." 

"No" Matt replied quickly. "I mean I don't mind if you stay, I could use the company." The blonde explained. He had many advisors but none he trusted as well as his partner. 

The teen liked his room a lot; it was absolutely beautiful and filled with things even the riches of kings would find wondrous. It was also surprisingly open. He had large openings on the far wall that lead to a large balcony. The view from the balcony was breath taking. His could see for miles into Forbidden Valley, but a spell from Sorcerymon prevented others from seeing him. Despite the superb quality of the room, Matt still felt it was far too large. And it seemed even larger when he was there alone.

"Have you decided to continue with your original plan?" WereGarurumon's conciliatory voice asked.

Matt did not answer right away. He dropped his head but nodded a yes so as not to keep the werewolf in suspense. "Making the decision is easy, caring it out will be the difficult part." he replied in an almost dejected tone.

"Maybe, but you are strong, and I think going back is the right thing." The ultimate encouraged as he began to trace circles on the polished marble floor.

"I suppose it would have been easier to stay here, but every time I consider it my mind screams at me, telling me how selfish I am."

WereGarurumon's head snapped up at this and he almost glared at the teen across from him. "Matt you are not selfish. You were given a very difficult decision and you made the choice that would be the most painful for you." WereGarurumon's voice was firm as he lectured the disconnected teen. "It will be difficult to handle both the struggles of the real world and the trials in this world."

"I'm just worried…" Matt began slowly as he pushed himself off the opal tall and stood. "I'm worried that I'll be in one place when I'm suppose to be in another. And then there is the others…" the Child of Friendship didn't have to finish these words, his partner knew how distressed he was about his friends. 

"When do you plan to tell them?" the ultimate questioned suspiciously, knowing that if it were up to his friend the other Digidestined would **never** know the truth.

Matt physically flinched at this question. He really didn't want to discuss this again. He and WereGarurumon had already gotten into an argument over the issue. 

"When the time is right." The teen answered calmly.

WereGarurumon raised an eyebrow showing that he wasn't satisfied with the answer. He would accept whatever Matt chose to do, but he wanted his friend to consider every opposition before deciding.

"I'll tell them when I have better control over things here. I can't go to them, tell them what's going on, and then lie to them saying everything is fine when I really don't know where we stand. Once I've gotten my rein a little more secured then I will tell them, I promise."  


WereGarurumon wasn't sure if he liked this idea, but still he decided to drop the issue. It was Matt's decision and he would stand by his partner no matter what.

WereGarurumon stood from his place on the floor as he heard the sound of footsteps tapping down the hall. He looked at Matt who gave him an approving nod then he went to the door. 

Ladydevimon, Sorcerymon, and Renamon were greeted by WereGarurumon before they could even reach their Lord's door. The white werewolf ushered them in then shut the door behind them.

Matt smiled kindly to his generals.

"Morning everyone." He greeted with the best optimistic tone he could force out.

Sorcerymon and Renamon both offered their good mornings then went silent.

"You know maybe we should have these morning meetings a little later in the day, say noon." Ladydevimon stated as she yawned. The fallen angel wasn't really the day type. She was use to roaming the digital world at night, and running on this new schedule was really warring down on her.

"Sorry Ladydevimon, but this won't take long." Matt apologized, knowing that the demon digimon had already been up all night over-seeing the construction of the western training grounds.

"I've called you all here today to let you know what we will be doing over the next couple of days." Matt began his speech as formally as the situation would allow. "You all know that after the hall is completely finished we will assign a regular construction team to work on the four citadels. You also know about all the meetings and events that will be occurring over the next couple of days, but what you don't know is that I am going back to earth." 

And it was quiet. For a moment the last announcement just hung in the minds of the generals as their brains tried to process this new and slightly disturbing fact.

"What?" Ladydevimon shouted speaking the one word that was on everybody's' mind.

"I'm going to go back for the day and check on everything. I'll be back tonight." He explained bringing some ease to his general's minds. "Right now the only real work is completing the hall and enlisting the new soldiers. Sorcerymon I'm going to leave you in charge of the progress on the hall, and Ladydevimon you will work on building your armies. I don't want to be caught unprepared if there is an attack."

The two generals nodded knowing their orders. 

"Okay you two are dismissed, if there is any problems that you feel you can't handle then send a messenger to retrieve me." 

With this final command Sorcerymon tele-ported out to return to his work, while Ladydevimon flew to the opening and went out to the valley's floor.

"Renamon." Matt addressed the remaining general.

"My Lord," the yellow fox answered then waited patiently for her instructions.

"I have a unique request for you." The teen stated as he walked a few steps closer to the rookie. "Deamon has already attacked me in the real world once, and I don't want to take the risk that he will do it again. I want you to select ten of your most powerful Renamon. These ten, along with you, will come with me to the real world." Matt was going to leave his orders there but he noticed the baffled expression on the animal digimon's face.

"If Deamon does attack then I will be protected. I can fight, and WereGarurumon will be with me. However me fellow Digidestined could be in danger. I am going to have the eleven of you watch over my friends. You will follow them everywhere and you must **never** let them know you are there. Also if they are attacked I only want you to reveal yourselves if it is absolutely necessary." The teen paused for another second as he went over the orders. "Also if I am present when the human you are protecting is in danger, then only reveal yourselves if I order you to." He explained how he wanted the mission to go.

"This will be a difficult order, but we can do it." the fox stated with confidence.

Matt smiled knowing that Renamon was the right choice for this mission. The yellow foxes were excellent at not being seen, and they were very skilled fighters, especially for their level.

"I want your most sly and illusive Renamon to protect the Child of Light. Here partner is a Gatomon with very keen senses. It will be difficult to remain hidden from her. So who ever you choose for her must be very powerful. And I won't _you_ to protect my brother. I will trust his life to no other."

Renamon was surprised and honored by her Lord's confidence in her. She knew how much the teen cared for his bother and she knew that his life meant more to the older blonde than the world.

"Gather the ten you intend to bring with us and meet me in the throne room in one hour, then we will leave."

At this last order Renamon faded in her usual fashion leaving Matt and WereGarurumon alone once more.

For a moment both Matt and WereGarurumon stood in silence. The sound of a cool breeze filled the room, the soft whisper of the Digital World was soothing, and the cool mountain air was fresh and crisp.

Matt smiled in content, loving the climate and the cool air. He listens to the breeze for a moment before walking slowly to his large closet. 

WereGarurumon watched as Matt pulled the crystal and bronze doors to his closet open. A small-frustrated frown settled on the teen's face as he looked over the many articles of clothing hanging from the bronze railing. Some of the clothes were robs and garments meant for wearing in the Digital World, while others were simple T-shirts and jeans perfect for wearing back to the real world. For a moment Matt thumbed through the earth clothes until his hand rested upon a long sleeved black oxford shirt. He pulled out the shirt and put it aside before looking for a pair of pants to go with it. Finally he settle on a pair of faded blue jeans.

"You better hurry if you want to have breakfast before we leave!" WereGarurumon shouted to the now shirtless blonde.

Matt frowned for a moment trying to look aggravated, then broke out laughing. "Everyone always said I took too long getting ready, I guess it must be true."

WereGarurumon smiled and left the teen to his dressing.

Matt also smiled as his mind settled on one thought. 'In one hour I'll be home.'

~*~*~

Well I personally am not too impressed with how this chapter turned out. I'm still fighting off a bit of writer's block and exhaustion(it seems like I always have those too, maybe I should go see the muse doctor and get some cure for them), but hopefully this chapter served its purpose, which was to develop and move the plot along. Anyway please review; tell me what you liked and what you didn't like about this part. Also tell me if you would like me to hurry the plot along quicker, or if you would like me to continue the way it's going.

Peace, love, and Digimon forever*


	11. Searching for Faith

A/N: I am so sorry, this chapter is way over due. School and work has been crazy, but I'm hoping to soon find more time to work on this. We're finally closing the story up a bit, I think there will be four more chapters after this one, so that means the fic will have fifteen chapters in all. 

Thank you everyone, who reviewed, and again I am very sorry for how long it took me to get this out. Also I should warn you, this chapter is pretty slow, and in my opinion not too good, but please be merciful. I will try to get the next chapter out much sooner then this one, and I promise it will be one crazy roller-costar-ride. 

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon, but I do love it dearly.

~*~*~

Matt sighed as he scanned over the room. He never noticed just how small his living room was until it was filled with eleven fox Digimon, one reptile Digimon, and himself. The apartment always seemed so large before; when you're alone any space can seem so big that it swallows you. He always told his father they should move into a smaller home, since they really had no need for such a _big_ apartment, but now he was wishing that the living room was a good ten square feet larger.

"So everyone understands her orders?" Matt commented making sure one more time that the rookies knew what role they were to play.

The group of eleven nodded a yes in perfect unison. Matt was amazed at how different each of the foxes were. At first he was worried that he wouldn't be able to tell them apart, but once Renamon introduced him to her _sisters_ he found that each of them were very different. They each had both physical and personality differences, making them as diverse as the Digidestined themselves.

Two of them had much softer eyes. The blue was not so intense and looked less like neon lights and more like the sky on a clear summer day. One of these two had a lighter yellow fur coat, and was very shy and sensitive. She would be watching over Ken, which seemed to please Matt since he saw a great similarity in the rookie and the Child of Kindness. The other had the same bright yellow fur as Matt's general, but had lime green gloves. The rookie insisted that the green went better with yellow. She was perhaps the most outgoing of the eleven and defiantly the most conscious of physical appearances. Again Matt found similarities between this fox and the child she would protect. He also had to remind himself that before they left the apartment this Renamon would have to be transported to New York to watch over Mimi.

The next Renamon had an amazing fur coat, instead of the common yellow as most Renamon seemed to be, this Renamon had an organ and red coat, the colors of a raging fire, and when she moved it looked like a spirit engulfed in an ever burning flame. She had a very serious and competitive personality. She met every challenge with optimism, and her light cheery voice was sweet to any troubled ears. This flamed Renamon would protect Tai; a fact that brought great ease to Matt's mind since he truly wished his best friend to have a strong protector.

Three Renamon stood off from the group, which was scattered about in the living room. These three sat casually at the dining room table along with Gabumon, discussing humans and the ways of the real world. All three of them could be called triplets because it was virtually impossible to tell them apart by looks. Each had the same soft yellow, almost white fur, and unique neon green eyes. They were a bit shorter then the rest of the Renamon, and their gloves, steel blue instead of dark lavender. Though they looked exactly a like their personalities were complete opposites. One was intelligent and loved to study the laws of nature and life. She had been select to protect Izzy. The second was into physical labor and her submissive attitude often lead to her being taken advantage of. Her gentle, easy going yet diligent nature made her the perfect guardian for Cody. The final was independent and very talkative. She loved to ask question and answer them, and she never failed to add her opinion about every thing, from politics to cooking. This hyper and over enthusiastic Renamon was placed to protect Yolie.

Two other Renamom were seated on the couch, one with her feet propped comfortably on the coffee table, and another with her legs crossed in feminine modesty. These two also looked much like the general breed of Renamon except the one with her legs crossed had pink fur in the place where most had white. She was quiet and always trying to keep peace where she goes. Her orders were to watch over Sora. The second with her feet resting on the table had a very light powder blue fur where white fur was usually found. She was intelligent, and very clever as well as witty. She was asked to watch over Joe.

Another Renamon stood over by her general and the two of them carried on a conversation about their mission and the children they would protect. This Renamon was completely white, except for her navy blue gloves and equally dark blue eyes. Her tail was a bit longer then the others and it shift back and forth as she spoke with her commander. Her voice was deep and her attention span varied. If she enjoyed the conversation then she would stare at the other party closely trying not to miss a single word or facial gesture. If the conversation bored her then she would just nod or offer casual replies to everything said. This competitive but fun loving rookie was personally selected to watch over Davis.

Matt scanned the room once more, looking over each rookie, studding them closely. His eyes passed from one fox to another until at last it landed upon the rookie in the hallway. This final Renamon was, in a way of speaking, the twin to Yamato's general. The rookie was silent as her white eyes stared at the floor. She was so unlike the rest of her _sisters_ that she even held a different name. Her name matched her perfectly, and as simple as it was it still seemed to hold a deeper meaning, BlackRenamon. It fit her so well with her raven fur coat. Shiny silver fur stood in place of white, and white gloved reached up her arms. Her white eyes seemed to glow in an eerie ghost like stare, and her anti-social front proved how truly different she was.

Renamon's twin was much like her sister. Both we're solemn, loyal, and courageous. These common traits were found in most Renamon, but the two twins seemed to hold their noble nature with humility and poise. But still there were some key differences between the two. While Renamon believed in mercy for all living beings, BlackRenamon believed very strongly in justice. Punishments should always fit the crime, and in her mind her sister was far too compassionate. Renamon was excellent in open combat and a born leader, while BlackRenamon was more cunning and preferred missions that would allow her to use her sly skills. But despite these differences the two got along well, and Renamon felt that her twin would be the perfect protector for Kari.

Matt was very impressed with Renamon's selection of protectors, and he was extremely impressed with BlackRenamon. The slender fox would easily be able to avoid Gatomon's keen senses, and staying discreet was just as important as protecting the children.

"All right then we had best get started." Matt announced, bringing all conversations to an end. "First I'll send you to New York, then the rest of us will go find my friends." 

The Renamon who were sitting quickly stood up, being careful not to disturb any of their Lord's belongings, then they, along with the standing Renamon, formed a line in the living room as they awaited their time of departure.

Once the Renamon were settled and the one with the green gloves had stepped forward Matt pulled out his Digi-Vice. He was amazed at how easy it had become to control the digi-port. The first time he used the gate without a computer it drained him of his energy, leaving him tired and more vulnerable to his injuries, but now the gate seemed to open with such ease. With a simple thought Matt could will the gate to open and take him, and whoever was with him, to any place he desired. When the rookies had first met him in the throne room of his new hall he was concerned that the gate would not open at all, or that the journey through would drain his energy once more. But now there seemed to be no threat of that happening, and both Matt and Gabumon took this as a sign that he was growing stronger.

"Okay Digi-Vice, do your stuff." Matt ordered so casually that he almost seemed bored with the event.

In less then a second the little device began to shake violently in Matt's hand as a high pitch screech came from the out-of-control device. The little metallic Digi-Vice shot out rays of bright, sky blue light. The blue light filled the room blinding the watchers temporarily, allowing them to only see blotches of light blue, that was quickly growing darker. Soon midnight blue rays flooded the room, and then in one final show of color and light, the intense rays left the room and began to circle the leaving Renamon. A final flash lit up the dark apartment and then all light and noise faded.

The Renamon blinked as their eyes readjusted to the dim living room. Matt didn't seem too fazed by the show, and it took less then a second for the blotches of color to leave his vision allowing him to see the room in perfect sight.

Once the teen was certain his servants' eyes had returned to normal he turned to Gabumon, ready to give the rookie an order, when he noticed the stripped digimon glaring at him in annoyance.

"What?" Matt asked with only a slight hint of defense in his voice.

"You did that on purpose." The little rookie commented in a sour tone.

Matt looked confused for a moment before asking, "I did what on purpose?"

Gabumon grinned slightly before answering. "That little light show of yours. It didn't do that when we left the throne room." 

A sheepish look flushed Matt's face. "I did not…" he tried to argue, but Gabumon gave him a stern look.

Hastily Matt tried changing the subject. "So are we going to go find the others or what." With that he headed to the door missing his partner's amused smile.

Matt reached the door then turned around to address the foxes. "We will take the back roads. No one will be there, and the obstacles we may encounter shouldn't be difficult for such limber digimon." He explained with a smile.

"Are all your friends in one place? And if so how will you know where that place is?" Yamato's general asked curiously.

"Yes they are in one place, well all except Mimi, but she is already taken care of. And I know where they are; I could sense their presence the moment we arrived. They're at the elementary school; more then likely looking for me…" Matt trailed off as his head hung a bit. He still wasn't certain if he was ready to face his friends; after all he had been gone for several days.

"Well let's not disappoint them." Gabumon chirped as he headed to the door.

Matt, following his partner's advice, opened the door, then gave the awaiting Renamon a nod, confirming them to follow. And with this silent command the group left the small dim apartment behind and headed into the shadowed alleys of Odibia.

Matt walked quietly up the metal stairs lined with rubber. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his black hooded jacket. His feet seemed to barely touch the ground, and they made no noise as he slowly ascended the steps. His mind raced as he tried to determine exactly what he was going to tell his friends. The light from the high windows, lining the walkway, reflected off the tile floor casting a glare in the teen's eyes, making the white tile glow. 

To Matt the walk seemed so slow. Like death had already come, and now all that remained was a slow struggle up the glowing stairs, only to be greet by judgment. He hated this walk. When he went to school here he would always have to climb these stairs to get to the detention room. He always got in trouble, if he wasn't arguing with the teachers then he was fighting his classmates. And he hated detention too, it was boring and he felt so worthless when all he could do was sit in a desk and stare eagerly at the clock. But now he would trade this walk for a thousands days of detention.

'Okay, I'm going to be calm and collective. I won't let my emotions get the better of me. And I won't chicken out.'

Matt sighed as he reached the top of his climb. The stairs were behind him and now a long hall lighten with artificial light was awaiting him.

For a moment the Child of Friendship waited at the top of the stairs. A little below he could here Gabumon's deep breaths as the little rookie swaggered up the short but long steps. The little reptile had grown so accustom to being in his ultimate form that going back to rookie was a huge adjustment. It seemed so strange to feel so powerless. WereGarurumon could have jumped these stairs with little effort, but Gabumon's short legs struggled greatly to get up the long staircase.

Not that Matt was upset about the wait. He was looking for any excuse to take more time. Any little event to delay his encounter with his companions, and right now his partner, panting heavily as he made his way up the stairs, was excuse enough.

'What am I going to say when I see them? How will I explain what happened?' these questions attacked the young Lord's mind with a furry. The overwhelming feelings of rejection, confusion, and fear beat upon his heart making his breaths become short an labored as he tried to regain control. it was no use, he couldn't see past this defining moment, and that frightened him more then anything. 

"Have faith in your friends Yamato, have faith in the bond all of you hold. Believe that it will stay strong and not brake under the pressure of these trying times." 

'But how can a bond, even one as strong as the one we hold, stay undamaged when two powers are literally tearing it in two.'

The blonde leaned against the wall for a moment as he tried to force back his doubt. The computer room was only a few steps away. A little further down the hall and he'd be with his friends, with the people who mean more to him then life itself. The Lord's advanced hearing allowed him to pick up the soft murmurs coming from the small classroom. He could hear Yolie and Davis arguing over ideas about what was happening in the Digi-World. He could hear the digimon talking about food, while Patamon stood off to the side along with Gatomon, both of them discussing TK's brake downs. 

"TK's really been worried." He commented more to himself then to Gabumon.

Gabumon could only watch as the stress of his partner's position began to ware down on him once more. The teen's face grew sad, a wretched frown made its way to his lips and his eyes grew hazy as tears threatened to fall.

'How could I have been so selfish? Why did I stay away so long?' these questions circled Matt's head. They grew like a balloon being filled with air. Every time Matt drew in a breath his brain filled with negativity, and now his mind was so overwhelmed that he felt his conscious might pop under the unrelenting pressure.

"The longer you wait, the longer he is without you." 

Matt snapped out of his reverie, his eyes slowly lowered until they meet with his partner's. Gabumon's face was solemn, but his bright cinnamon eyes held understanding beyond words.

Matt nodded, saying both thank you and you're right in one simple gesture. He then, using all the strength he could muster, pushed himself off the wall and began his walk down the hall.

Gabumon followed slowly behind. The little rookie's eyes remained on his partner except for the occasional glance back at the group of foxes hiding in the shadows.

The group of Renamon stayed far back; knowing that their Lord would not need them until after the children had parted ways. So for the moment they wandered the school halls or hide in the trees on the playground.

The computer room was getting closer, and to Matt is seemed that with each step his feet were getting heavier. It was like a great weight was lacked to his ankles holding his feet to the ground, and each time he lifted his leg it felt like his was pulling the world up by his feet.

"We've looked everywhere there is to look in the real world. He has to be in the Digi-World!"

TK's angered and afflicted voice boomed out of the computer room hitting Matt with a heavy blow to his heart.

"TK we can't just go rushing into the Digital World when we don't have a clue where he is, don't forget Deamon is building his armies if he"

"Screw Deamon!" The Child of Hope shouted once more this time cutting right into Sora's lecture, "I want my brother back." The young blonde whispered miserably.

Matt waited outside the door for a moment. Gabumon had already moved to his side and he too waited quietly. The argument on the other side of the door continued to rage on as the others tried to calm down the determined boy. Now Tai was in the argument and defending the poor brother, but also trying to keep the younger boy calm. 

'Okay I have to be strong.' 

With that little command Matt slowly reached for the pull on the sliding door. For a moment everything seemed to stand still. His heart sped up and the blood throbbed in his ears. The voices of the arguing children on the other side of the door forced their way in, mingling with the throbbing pain in his head, and pounding in his brain with full fury.

Gabumon scented his partner's reluctance and gave him a small nudge, bringing the teen back to reality.

"Guys let's think logically; Matt going to the Digital world is as likely as him walking through that door right now."

The group of Digidestined jumped as the thin wooden door came sliding open.

Matt slowly steeped from the bright hallway into the small computer room. His cerulean eyes clouded as he desperately tried to hold back the many emotions and thoughts that were threatening to spill over.

The group was in shock, mouths hung open and eyes widened as they stared at the tall blonde teen standing timidly in the doorway.

"M-Matt?" TK's voice stuttered in disbelief as his soft baby-blue eyes scanned over his brother.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Matt asked softly trying to sound as casual as possible.

Tai and TK immediately dashed to the doorway; both looked over the uncertain teen with relief.

"Matt!" the child of Hope shouted his voice overwhelmed with joy as he grabbed his brother and pulled him into a tight hug.

Tears began to well up in both brothers' eyes as they embraced one another. Soon the feelings became too much and TK began crying on Matt's shoulder, still desperately clinging to the teen's shirt. 

Matt closed his eyes from a moment as he fought back the tears. He was so glad to be with his brother again, but he was also so disgusted with himself for not coming back sooner. 

"I was so worried about you," the younger boy sniffled out, "Where have you been?"

Matt's eyes opened at this question as he reluctantly pulled away from the sobbing boy. TK looked up into his brother's shadowed eyes, his innocent face searched for some explanation from the older boy, but Matt had grown stronger and his ability to hide was now at its best.

"I'm sorry TK, I didn't mean to make you worry." Was the only answer the younger boy received.

TK pulled away from his brother and took a step back. He still looked at the older boy questionably, but Matt showed no tips of what had happened.

For a moment the two brothers simply stood there, both quiet and still. Their similar eyes locked in a war of will, TK's pure, searching gaze went deep into Matt's stone but soft stare, trying to brake down the defense the Child of Friendship built. But it was no use, Matt would not relent, his walls stood high and strong, and even his brother could not brake through them.

Tai stood off to the side, he watched the brothers closely, knowing not to interrupt the moment, no matter how uncomfortable it was. He watched his best friend closely, taking note of every detail from other teen. He noticed everything, from how nicely dressed he was, to his hands with tiny scraps and scars streaked across pale flesh. He noticed that the blonde carried himself higher then usual, but also crouched slightly, as though he was afraid. He also notice how quickly the blonde's chest rose and fell in forceful breaths.

The moment passed, and TK realized that he would not get his answers from starring. His brother was a master of fronts, and that skill still stayed strong with him.

"Where have you been?" the younger blonde asked once more, this time his voice quivered slightly as he forced back his feelings and tried desperately to be as collective as his brother.

Gabumon stood off to the side unnoticed for the moment. He watched the small starring contest between the brother's, and then listened as the question came up once more. _Where have you been?_ The little rookie knew this would come up, it was inevitable, and he also knew how afraid of this question his partner was. 'Just tell them the truth Matt, don't be afraid.' The stripped digimon though, but judging by the look in his friend's eyes, Matt was anything but prepared to tell the truth.

Matt swallowed the lump in his throat, hopeing that he could swallow his fear with it. But the physical action had no effect on his racing mind. He wasn't sure how to answer, but he knew the longer he waited the worse it got. 

"I was in the Digi-World" his words came out more confident then he thought, and for a moment he was sure that he could handle this interrogation.

"In the Digi-World?" TK asked stunned by the answer. 

The group of Digidestined standing off in the background looked at one another, each flabbergasted by the response.

'He really was in the Digi-World, but what could he have possibly been doing there?' Tai thought to himself.

His eyes locked on his friend, and even though he was relived and extremely happy to see him, he still wanted an answer to all his worrying and misery. 'That's what it was without him around misery. TK was panicked, I was freaked, but I couldn't show it because, I had to keep the group together. I never noticed how dependent I am on him. Whenever something becomes too much for me I always talk to him about it, and for some reason I feel less alone. Its like without even being asked he takes part of my burden and carries it for me. But now he has his own burden, I can tell, I can see it in his eyes.'

"Why were you in the Digital World?" the leader of the Digidestined question as he stepped closer to his friend so that he could look him directly in the eyes.

Matt gulped and began breathing heavy through his nostrils. It wasn't that he felt intimidated by his friends, after all these were natural, and expected questions, it was that he could not bring himself to tell the truth. Truth may not be the easiest path, but in the end, the struggle to remain in the truth pays off. But when you're placed at a moment where you most decided between difficult and easy you generally go for the second, despite the after effects.

"Some Bakemon attacked the city a couple of days ago, Gabumon and I took care of the Bakemon, but on the last fight something strange happened." The Child of Friendship's thoughts sped up and soon his mouth was running to catch up. "I'm not sure how, but my Digi-Vice took us to the Digi-World. Nothing happened, well there were some crazy storms, but other then that nothing happened." 

The storms were the only things he could think of as an excuse to his delay at coming back. He wasn't even sure what caused the massive attacks from nature, but he guessed that Deamon was some how behind it. The areas suffering from the violent winds and flooding waters were now vulnerable to an attack, and Matt believed Deamon would strike in those areas first.

"So one second you were in an ally, and the next you were in the Digi-world?" Yolie asked intrigued by Matt's vague explanation.

"Who said anything about an ally?" Matt asked, his voice displaying a bit of shock as he questioned the violet hair girl.

'How could they have possibly known about the fight in the ally?' the blonde thought desperately to himself.

"The news reports said that there were three attacks, and one of them was in an ally." the lanky girl explained a little confused by the teen's uneasiness.

"What… what else was on the news reports?" Matt asked anxiously.

Yolie shrugged casually, not certain of what the big deal was, and answered. "Only that there were three attacks. A large group of people witnessed one of them, and they talked about Gabumon. There was one with no witnesses, and the finally one had two victims. Of course you knew all that, because you were there; weren't you?" 

Matt nodded his head, his eyes dropping a bit. His stomach twisted in knots and his nerves were so unsettled that he almost wished he could simply pass out and become numb. "Yes…" he whispered quietly as memories of the attacks came flooding back. "Yes I was there."

"Well then you'll be happy to know that the guy from the ally is fine, and the woman was just released from the hospital yesterday." 

A small smile itched on Matt's set face, his efforts and pain were not in vain, and that couple can now go and live their lives in peace.

Now Matt had grown more relaxed, the other Digidestined had taken up their conversations once more, and it almost seemed like nothing had happened.

Tai wasn't satisfied with the way things were going. In his opinion Matt had gotten off the hook too easily. If any of the other Digidestined had vanished the group would have been frantic to find the missing party again, and once they were found, questions would have flown like arrows destroying every defense the recovered party might have set up. 

But Matt wasn't one of the other Digidestined, he was known for disappearing, and he was also known for giving little explanation for his actions. Generally the leader of the Digidestined would be the first to let it go, after all he has known the blonde for a long time, and the short of behavior was not uncommon for him, but for some reason the brunette could not simply shake off all the questions circling his mind.

"Well now that Matt's back we can focus our attention on finding Deamon, and learning more about this new Lord." Izzy commented ending all other conversations.

Matt physically winced at the computer genius' last comment.

"Good idea!" Tai chirped with a sly smile. "And while all of you work on that Matt, TK, and I will go discuss strategy somewhere else." Tai stated as he put an arm around Matt's shoulder.

"We will?" TK asked in bewilderment.

Tai nodded in confidence then gave TK a stern "We will."

The younger boy immediately caught on, this wasn't the first time the Child of Courage and the Child of Hope had to team up against Friendship, and both knew exactly what to do to lore Matt into their _trap_. 

"Yeah, and I know exactly where to go!" TK exclaimed as he too wrapped an arm around Matt.

Matt laughed nervously, knowing what was in store for him. 

'Oh Great.'

~*~*~

The streets were fairly vacant, very few cars drove by, and even fewer people were seen. Occasionally someone would hurry down the sidewalk, trying to get back to their home, as quickly as possible, but for the majority of the time the streets were empty. The emptiness, and lack of life made the long walk seem that much drearier. The sky was over-cast, and the gray clouds hung low, showing that rain would soon fall. The air was heavy and cool, all shops were closed, and all people were locked securely away in their homes, finding comfort with their families. These last monster attacks drove the over populated city into a time of chaos, and now the mad rush was over, and people were left drained and weary from fear an anxiety.

'But like the chaos, the fear will soon pass. It is said that it takes a tragedy for people to appreciate the true rewards of life, but tragedy is like joy, it's not constant, it passes away. The effects and feelings gained from a lesson rarely stay with us forever, and soon life becomes what it was. We re-enter our routines and everything goes back to greed and how much we can gain. What will it really take for us to appreciate the beauty of generosity, compassion, and friendship? What will it take for me to become stronger in these traits?' 

Not every person was panicked or even bothered by the attacks. Three teen-aged boys walked down the otherwise barren sidewalk, each taking full strides, each moving at a slow but steady pace, and each completely lost in their own thoughts.

One boy was tall and strongly built, with olive skin, dark brown hair, and warm cocoa colored eyes. Behind him trudged a small dinosaur creature with dull yellow scales and innocent green eyes.

Next to the brunette was a taller boy, with golden blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes, that clouded over with mystery. Behind him was another small reptile creature, only this one was clothed in soft blue and white stripped fur, and soft crimson eyes.

The final boy was the youngest of the group. Like the taller teen next to him, this boy had blonde hair, though his was a bit softer in color and thicker in texture. His eyes were a gentle baby blue, and he bit the side of his mouth as he tried to contain his thoughts. A small organ and off-white creature rested comfortably on the boy's white hat, his bright blue eyes shut as he dozed in contentment.

Tai and TK both walked quietly on either side of Matt. For the most part they kept their stares forward, but occasionally the blonde could feel the two's concern eyes glance at him. He wasn't certain where they were going, but the closer they got the more suspicious he became. But for most of the walk he chose not to think. He let his mind go over song lyrics, hoping that the familiar words would drain out his concerns. 

"Here we are." TK chirped with glee, bringing his brother back from the world of rhyme and melody.

Matt and Tai both glanced up at the sound of the younger boy's voice. Tai smiled knowing the location, despite the fact that he had never been in there, and Matt laughed slightly as he realized where the group ended up at.

"I thought you don't drink coffee." He teased his younger brother with a smile.

TK grinned and then went to the door. "Well I was thinking about starting, I just hope they're open." He stated as he looked through the glass doors into the dim coffeehouse.

"They are." Matt spoke with confidence as he walked over to the door.

"What makes you so sure?" Tai shot back with a goofy grin.

"Because this place is _always_ open." With that announced Matt pushed open the door.

The familiar bell rang showing that someone had entered, and the group of three boys and three digimon walked in.

Tai and TK looked around the small shop taking in every detail of their friend's hang out. The shop was dimly lighten, with black shades over the windows, which were now pulled up half way. Reggae paintings and furniture decorated the walls and floor, and blue's music could be heard playing low from a small stereo in the corner.

"Are we the only ones here?" Tai asked as he looked over the shop once more.

"Looks to be that way." TK replied as he followed Matt to the counter.

Matt smiled as he breathed in the calm atmosphere of the shop. He really did love this small coffeehouse, it was always quiet and the coffee was always strong.

TK and Tai eased up to the counter until they were standing next to the quiet blonde. Both of them read over the menu several times, but neither knew what they wanted.

"I'll have a triple espresso, and they'll both have sodas." Matt ordered, giving his two companions a sly smile.

"We can order for ourselves you know." Tai stated in agitation.

"Well then tell her what you want." Retorted a grinning Matt.

TK and Tai both shifted nervously. The girl just looked at them with the same inattentive expression on her face.

The group fell into an awkward silence until Tai finally admitted defeat. "I'll have a soda." The brunette mutter.

"Same here." TK confirmed then grabbed his brother by the arm and began leading him to the low seats in the corner. "Tai grab our drinks when they're ready." The younger boy yelled over his shoulder as he pulled his very confused brother off to the seat.

A ringing sound was heard as the shop's door opened and the digimon exited. Gabumon, who drank coffee with his partner often, felt that the little rookies were already hyper enough, so the three digimon decided to wander the streets for a while.

After the bell rang the shop fell back into the soothing silence, besides the soft blues radiating from the small stereo. The brothers sat down across from one another, and for a moment it was completely quiet. Matt sat nervously fidgeting, and TK stared at his brother in his most intimidating glare.

Matt was concerned, concerned that if his brother stared any harder he would see right through him. The younger boy was watching him so attentively, that Matt was certain he would notice the exact amount of breaths he took each minute. The silence wasn't helping the teen's nerves; it was like a barrier, prolonging his moment of truth, but not vanquishing it. No matter how long he waited, he would eventually have to deiced between truth, and lies, but what made this choice so painful was the person he would be giving the truth or lie to.

"Okay," TK began, breaking the silence with his soft, gentle voice.

Matt was confused, but also relived. The silence was broken, and now the questions would come. "Okay what?"

TK waited for a moment. He breathed in deeply; preparing his own nerves and will to handle this new challenge. "Okay it's time to stop hiding and tell me the truth." The words came out so flat and demanding that Matt was left wondering if his little brother could had spoke them at all.

The Child of Friendship tried to act surprised, and even shock, but he knew that his acting skills left much to be desired. "TK…" he began but stopped short unable to think of how to respond to the younger boy's words.

"TK, I was once told that ultimately the only one you can depend on is yourself, and for a long time I believed that. I use to feel that I was completely alone in this world, that I was destined to be alone. Sometimes it's good to be alone, but when you believe that your only purpose in life is to feel rejection and loneliness then those feelings will slowly began to eat away at you. They will devour your soul and leave you broken, so that your resentment can lead you to braking anther's soul." 

The young Lord paused, he went over his words, and though they weren't what he originally meant to say he decided to continue with his speech. 

"That happened to me; I believed so strongly that fate had sentenced me to a life of loneliness, that my soul began to crack. Slowly small slits would make their way in until the cracks were large enough for pieces to brake and fall away. I was in pain and alone, so I felt that maybe if someone else felt my pain I wouldn't have to be alone any longer. That's when I become vulnerable to deceit, and a digimon corrupted me and convinced me to fight against Tai. At the time it seemed right, and for a moment, during all the shouting, I really did feel like someone else cold understand. But it was the wrong choice; Tai showed me that. When I left the group I still felt alone, but the lie that I was meant to be alone had vanished, and was replaced with the thought that I deserved to be alone. It wasn't until Gabumon showed me I am loved that I finally defeated the resentment within my heart."

Matt paused again. He tried not to smile as TK leaned forward a bit, hanging off his brother's word. The younger boy rarely got to see this deeply into his brother, and some of the things he had learned so far brought him to the brink of tears. 

His brother had suffered, he had lived with such agony within him for so long, and no one noticed. No one saw his pain.

"The lies were defeated, but I was still left with a tattered soul. However over time you, Tai, Gabumon, and all the others help put me back together again. You helped me get through the healing process, which is, at times, more painful then the wound. When your healing from being closed off, and trying to open yourself up to the world you have to take everything. Everything is so new, and if you want to heal and experience the good then you must experience the bad as well. Before certain things didn't bother me, but once I started allowing people to see my feelings, then I allowed them to see my fears, my doubts, my anger, and they often used that to hurt me. There were times when I simply wanted to give up; when I didn't think that healing was worth the pain, but all of you stood by me, no matter what I was going through you were all there. I had my family, my friends, my partner, and for a long time I thought I had healed. I thought that I was finally complete, but I was wrong."

Matt spoke so gently, the tone in his voice and the order of his words, seemed to hold a plea within them. A plea that begged the Child of Hope for understanding and forgiveness. A plea, which asked that some of the Hope, that was this younger boy, would feed the soul that, was now being poured out to him.

TK was silent; he contemplated his brother's speech. He went over each word and explanation, each analogy and theory; he found so much in this talk. He discovered the source of much of his brother's behavior, he found out history that was never revealed to him, and he saw deeper into the older boy's heart then he ever thought possible. But despite all the marvels that he saw, he could not find an answer in this talk. He learned much, but he still could not find an answer to his question.

"I'm glad that you shared all this with me. Honestly I never knew how you felt before, I mean you would give vague explanations to your feelings, but you were never this open, kind of makes me wonder why the sudden change?" 

Matt wasn't expecting this response, it was much calmer, and far more sincere then he had ever thought possible. 

'It's amazing, they grow up so quickly. One moment I was kissing his brushed knee and now I'm having an open, slightly philosophical conversion with him, and feeling comfortable about doing so. Maybe he isn't the one who has grown at all, maybe he was always like this, and I needed to grow to see it.'

"You can live forever with each day offering a great lesson, but if you never pay attention then even eternity isn't long enough to take the lesson being offered. But we don't live forever, we only stay in this life for a moment, because of that, a lesson that should take an eternity to understand, has to be crammed into a few days, and it's up to us to sort out all the details in the lesson. Once we open our eyes and accept what life is trying to teach us, then we can not only have the values we learn from the lesson, but also all the benefits that being awake offers. Now I'm finally awake and learning, and I think that I am finally beginning to understand my lesson, that is why I am strong enough to now be open with you."

TK laughed at this new lecture, causing Matt to raise an eyebrow in bafflement. "I had no idea my brother was a philosopher." The younger boy choked out between bellows of laughter.

Matt blushed as he realized what he had been saying this whole time. His pale checks turned a soft pink and he too began to laugh at his own words.

"Yeah well I'm sorry if I'm a little too deep for you." The older boy mocked with an arrogant smile. "I guess I'll just start braking everything down in simple terms so you can keep up."

TK grinned evilly then began to play along with his brother's show. "Really, so you're that wise are you?" he asked with an innocent tone.

"Well…" Matt started with a mock humble look.

"Well if you are that wise then how come you didn't see this coming!" 

Matt was caught off guard as TK took one of the throw pillows from his seat, swung it over, and hit him hard on the side of the head.

Matt groaned as he wobbled on his seat from the force of the pillow then fell over onto the polished wooden floor.

Two voices rang out with fits of laughter at the sight of the blonde teen sitting on the ground with an agitated look plastered on his face. TK nearly fell out of his seat laughing, and Tai nearly dropped the drinks as his face turned red and he too laughed and jeered at the fallen teen.

"Very funny." Matt muttered obviously not nearly as amused as the other two. He wasn't amused, but deep inside he was laughing too, and deep inside he loved moments like these, where you're with your friends and all the troubles in the world seem to vanish when your laughing together.

Tai set the drinks down then went and leaned over Matt.

"He's getting too quick form you Matt." The brunette mocked as locks of dark hair fell into his eyes.

"Nah, I'm just getting too old." The other teen replied as he took Tai's extended hand and pulled himself off the ground.

Once the group had settled down a bit, and after Tai was finished mocking Matt by saying he wished he had a camera, the three boys began to sip at their drinks quietly.

Round one was over. Matt managed to avoid the subjects and questions, even though he hadn't planed to avoid them by tell some of his most intimate feelings. He now waited patient, sipping at his hot espresso, dreading the new attack that was sure to come the moment his two companions had finished their sodas.

"So what we're the two of you discussing before TK laid the smack down on you?" Tai questioned giving Matt a crooked grin.

Matt chose to ignore the little piece of sarcasm, although he did flash his friend a glare, which quickly faded into a small smile.

"We were just discussion Matt's philosophical views on life." TK explained giving his brother an innocent small.

Tai laughed then huffed. "Boring, let's talk about some… recent events."

TK nodded knowing what the leader of the chosen children meant, then turned back to his brother.

"You know, you never really answered my question." The youngest of the group began. "When will you stop hiding?"

Matt's eyes lowered, he suddenly felt very tiered. Trying to keep a front up before his brother was difficult enough, but now he had to not only face his brother but his best friend as well. The stress of the situation complied upon the stress of his life in general was enough to make him want to brake down and cry. But still he couldn't do that; he had to be strong.

"Remember when I told you for a long time I thought I was complete, but then I realized I was wrong." it wasn't a question, it was a prompting. He was preparing himself, as well as furthering his explanation. 

TK nodded, fearing that if he interrupted with words his voice would shatter the grace his brother was showing him. Afraid that any word misspoken might drive the already uneasy teen to remain silent, and not finish his tale of emotion.

"I realized that completion is not simply found with the ones you love, although that is a big part of it, I found that to truly feel complete you most accomplish something. You most feel that you are achieving something. The something doesn't have to be big or wonderful, just meaningful. Raising children, writing something that puts a smile on someone else's face, or just being a good waiter when someone comes in for a cup of coffee can be meaningful. If you are finding satisfaction in what you do, no matter how trivial it may seem, you are somehow touching someone else's life. Nothing is trivial, and if you are happy with who you are and what you are doing, then people will scenes that and take a piece of your happiness with them, making your life meaningful, and their life a little more joyful."

Matt smiled and for the first time in his talk he looked his companions in the eyes.

"I may have been touching a lot of lives, but I couldn't find satisfaction in the way my life was going. I knew that there was something out there that just I was meant to do, and I knew I couldn't be complete until I found out what it was. And that is how completion is found, we find out our place, never being satisfied with things until we are certain that where we are, is where we're suppose to be. Then once we've found our place, we do the one thing that only we can do. We touch the one life that only we can reach, or we teach one person a lesson that only we can teach, and then we know that our lives have meaning, even if it is only one person. If everyone in the world helped one other person in a way that only they can, then much of the fear and resentment that rules this world would no longer be."

"I searched a long time for my place, for the path I needed to take to find completion, and I think I finally found it. And even if I'm wrong, and all I do is touch one life during my journey then I can still be satisfied, knowing that one life has been reach by me."

The sounds of smooth bass lines, and jazzy horns collected in the room. It followed the speech, given by the blonde teen, bringing a bit of life to the otherwise silent shop. 

Tai and TK were in a state of shock, Matt had just spoken his feelings, and now he sat quietly on the other side of the table, head hung low, and eyes locked on the wooden stand.

Matt wasn't sure what had compelled him to be so open with his thoughts, but he liked the feeling. He liked knowing that he could be open with the two people closest to him. He might not have answered their question directly, but when weighing facts to feeling, feelings always win. He stopped hiding and expressed himself, but what had brought about the strength for him to be emotionally honest still remained a secret. And this was a secret he intended to keep for as long as possible.

Tai observed Matt closely. The blonde teen still had his head hung low, and Tai knew it was out of anxiety for their response. It generally took a lot for Matt to open up, and the brunette knew that more was in play here then what was revealed. Something had happened to his friend, something that brought out a new side to the once misanthropic rebel.

"So what you are saying is that you have found something that completes you. And it has something to do with the attacks and you vanishing." Tai summed up and then waited for a reply from his best friend.

Matt slowly raised his head so that he was looking Tai in the eyes. A small smile played on his lips, but his eyes still stormed with a sea of emotions. 

"Yes."

Matt's simple answer wasn't the response that Tai or TK had expected.

"Well if that's all it is then why don't you tell us what this new place of yours is?" TK questioned with genuine curiosity.

Matt turned away from his companions. He shifted in his seat so that he no longer faced the other two boys then quietly responded. "Because there are some things I'm not ready to talk about, and this is one. Maybe eventually I'll be able to tell you, but please believe me when I say that everything I do is for a good reason." Matt stood up after he spoke these words, but he still did not turn around to face the two pairs of eyes that were surely starring deeply at him.

"So you have a good reason for lying to us?" Tai asked, a bit of anger and offense filled his tone.

Matt bit his lip, trying to fight back the tears. Tai had never spoken to him in that tone before, and this small show was only the beginning.

'Eventually they'll turn from me forever…' 

Matt panicked, he couldn't loose his friends, they were everything to him.

"Matt, faith is not the absents of trials, but the strength to know that no matter how dark it gets there will always be a light to lead you through."

Tai's voice became soft once more as he gently laid a hand upon Matt's shoulder.

Matt's thoughts circled around this one word, faith. The words of Gabumon came back to him ringing in his mind like a sign that all would be right in the end. 

__

"Have faith in your friends Yamato, have faith in the bond all of you hold. Believe that it will stay strong and not brake under the pressure of these trying times."

'Do I have that much faith?'

Matt slowly turned to face his companions. TK was starring at him wide eyed and worried, while Tai slowly removed his hand from the teen's shoulder.

'Will faith be enough?' Matt thought to himself as his eyes went from brown orbs to soft blue and then back again. 'I guess I'll never know if I don't try.'

With a strong command Matt forced all his thoughts in order, braking down the confusion and stress, and preparing to take a leap of faith.

"Faith has never been my strong point…" the blonde began then he looked down for a moment trying to find the right words before facing his best friend again. "It's always been dark for me, and I guess I lost my light, but now I see that…" he trailed off once more leaving his friends in suspense.

"What do you see?" Tai prompted trying to keep his friend on the path he began.

"I see that… you are my light, you and TK and Gabumon… and sometimes it was hard for me to accept that I needed all of you, but even the lonely need a light." Matt smiled content with his decision, he would trust in faith, and tell his lights what trials he now faced. "When I went to the Digital World it was to"

A scream was heard from the streets. The loud cry cut into Matt's explanation causing all three of the Digidestined to run to the shop's windows in curiosity.

Screams rang out from all over the city; cars crashed into other cars as the drivers were too petrified to operate them. People ran for cover, trying to get in doors and escape the horrid creatures running down every person found lingering on the streets. Crimson began to paint the sidewalks and pieces of metal, plastic, and glass scattered on the roads from broken windows and crashed cars.

The black and slender monsters used their long deep red claws to slice through telephone poles and carts on the streets. Victims screamed as the lanky demons cornered them, separating them from the large group of fleeting humans and began digging their long talons into the poor person's flesh. The demons flooded the city sticking mostly to the main roads, taking out every car, truck or train that dared to move during their conquest.

Matt rushed out of the coffee house doors, followed by Tai and TK. Their eyes widened in fear and anger as cars flipped over and the Devimon danced about the streets like mad children on a question to ruin every breakable beauty in their path.

The Devimon's red eyes glowed with pleasure as they continued their attack upon the human realm. The destruction and blood thrilled them to no end, and the anticipation of destroying the Digidestined hung heavy in their minds.

"We have to warn the others!" TK cried frantically.

"Something tells me they already know." Matt replied calmly as he watched the attack continue.

None of the demons seemed to notice the three teens watching their little show, or if they did notice they didn't care. Many of the fallen angels flew right passed the teens, making no signs that they even acknowledge the Chosen.

"We've got to find our digimon, they can't fight without us." Tai stated as he looked around, his eyes quickly scanning over the scene.

"They are three blocks away." Matt informed the leader. 

Gabumon already knew of the attack, and had already begun fighting as best he could. Matt could sense his partner's struggle, and he knew exactly where he was.

More cries rang out as some of the Devimon broke through doors running people out of their homes and offices.

"How do you know they are only three blocks away?" TK asked as he turned to his brother.

"Trust me." 

Was the only reply Matt gave before taking off in the direction he earlier pointed out.

Tai and TK looked at one another before taking off, trying to catch up with the running blonde.

People flooded the streets, frantic screams rang out and blood continued to paint the sidewalk.

Through this all Matt's only thoughts were _Renamon please keep them safe._

~*~*~

Am I keeping anyone in suspense? Well don't worry "the moment of truth", as Nova so elegantly put it, (don't worry Nova I'll pay you royalties for using that, just send me the bill) is coming soon. I won't say when I'll just say that I hope it surprises you.

Well you know the drill: got any, comments, criticism, critiques, complements, flames, question? please place them in a review or e-mail. I really need honest reviews; I'm looking to critique some stuff for future fics, so I want to have everyone's unbiased opinion of this chapter.


	12. Shaken and Broken

A/N: okay I owe everyone a huge explanation for why this chapter has taken so long… well in all honesty the answer is within the chapter. Yes that is a lame explanation so let me explain. This chapter is the longest one yet. It is two times as big as the average chapter, so it took me a little longer to write it. Also this isn't a complete chapter, the is chapter twelve part A. you see when I saw how long it was taking me to get this out, I decided to leave the chapter, somewhat incomplete, and add the ending in another chapter, which I hope to have out very, very soon. 

The next chapter is already half way done, and should be out within a week, so hopefully this will hold you over until then. 

Disclaimer: I still don't own digimon… sadly…

~*~*~

Screams continued to ring through the streets like wails of terror. The Devimon continued their ravenous plundering of the populated city. The black demons moved through air and on land like shadows of The Grim Reaper, their black bodies blending in with the darkening sky. They pillaged buildings, and attacked every fleeing human their bloodthirsty eyes fell upon. 

Soon the attack escalated and the fear rose as IceDevimon joined their brothers in the onslaught. Bakemon, Soulmon, and SkullMeramon, tossed cars into the air, and knocked over telephone poles as they stormed through the streets causing chaos, which only helped to fuel the panic. SkullMammothmon stampeded down the highways and open streets. The ground shook and cracked under the pounding of the massive digimon's four legs.

Amongst the chaos of frighten citizens, three teens ran against the crowd, heading for the area receiving the most damage. A blonde teen pushed his way through people, jumping over fallen debris, and easily avoiding any other obstacle he met. Trailing behind him was a brunette teen and a younger boy with equally blonde hair. The other two boys had more difficulty moving through the flood of pedestrians, but they still managed to keep close behind the leading teen.

Matt's mind was focused, his task was clear, and every fiber of his being was ready for the challenge ahead. He knew this attack must be related to him, and the more destruction he saw the more guilt rose in the pit of his stomach. He never wanted to bring his problems to the real world, but now there was no avoiding it. The trials had followed him home, and it was his responsibility to correct the damage being done.

As the three teens fought their way through the crumbling streets, three other figures fought a battle of their own. Agumon, Patamon, and Gabumon lashed out against the Bakemon in the area hoping to eliminate at least some of the threat to their partner's home. 

The rookie's attacks did have some effect against the ghost digimon, but they knew that the only hope of vanquishing these opponents was by digi-voleving to their higher levels.

Gabumon used his long red claws to slice through one of the Bakemon. His blow ripped the tattered white cloth, which clothed the demented spirit, into shreds of worn white fabric. A second later the thin sheet broke into tiny pieces of data, along with the rest of the ghost's physical form. 

The stripped rookie smiled with a sense of pride in his victory over the champion digimon, but he did not dwell on it long as another champion ghost, this time a Soulmon, attacked him from behind. Quickly Gabumon's keen sense alerted him to the approaching attack, allowing him enough time to turn and fire a blue blaster right at the attack, causing the two streams of energy to cancel each other out. 

The Soulmon was taken back by the fact that a rookie had so easily stopped his attack, and in that moment of hesitation Gabumon shot out another blue blaster destroying the ghoul, pointed hat and all.

'I need to digi-volve; I could accomplish more if I were at a higher level, but if I did evolve Patamon and Agumon would be suspicious.'

The reptile digimon watched as his fellow rookies fought vigorously against their opponents. 

Both Patamon and Agumon fought to the best of their ability. Both were oblivious to the fact that Gabumon was demolishing his opponents with less effort. Patamon's boom bubble would distraction the ghost digimon from their games of taunting and tormenting the fleeing humans, and Agumon's pepper breath would finish the job of destroying the gleeful ghouls.

The three rookies had just taken the offensive hand, only to Bakemon remained cowering next to the flat wheels of a battered car, when four massive shadows stretched over the battle cite.

Gabumon looked up, taking his eyes off the ghost, fearing that they would meat with a greater challenge. The shadows grew smaller as heavy steps pounded the pavement bringing the towering threats closer to the five battling digimon.

Metal bodies reflected the remainder of the clouded sky's light, as mechanical limbs prepared to lash out at the rookies. The four SkullMeramon snarled like hungry wolfs as their glowing eyes brightened as focused in on their prey.

"Well we had a good run, but this looks pretty hopeless." Patamon stated dryly, finding sarcasm to be the best tack from the dyer situation.

"It will only be hopeless once we're dead." Gabumon replied as he focused his venom-coated words towards the towering metal ultimates.

Gabumon now was faced with a crucial decision. He wanted to respect his partner and Lord's wishes, but he also wanted to protect his two defenseless friends. Finding a common ground between loyalty to friends and obedience to his partner, Gabumon ran in front of the other two rookies, prepared to take the full force of any attack that may be let loose.

The SkullMeramon sneered at the little reptile as one of them fired a metal fireball attack straight at him.

Gabumon closed his eyes tightly preparing for the powerful attack.

Agumon and Patamon cried out for their friend to move, but there wasn't enough time. Their voices barely reach the blue and white rookie before the ball of energy slammed into him.

The sound of concrete cracking and large pieces, of set-free rock, smashing against the pavement drowned out the little rookies', cries as the blast hit Gabumon with devastating effects. Sparks flew, as well as sharp rock. A cloud of dust was set into motions by the attack, covering the whole area with an obscure curtain of earth.

Patamon and Agumon looked on with terror shining in their innocent eyes. Glistening green and blue orbs focused on the cloud, trying desperately to penetrate the dust with the small hope that their comrade had survived the attack.

Laughter flooded the area as the four SkullMeramon bellowed with heartless mockery. Soon the metal ultimates were joined by the remaining ghost digimon, all jeering at the foolish stripped rookie and his now helpless friends.

Soon another voice joined the laughter and upon hearing it the digimon stopped and turned around.

Tai and TK both looked sympathetically and skeptically at the blonde teen in mock laughter. 

The three boys had arrived just in time to see the attack, and both Tai and TK were horrified by the event; while Matt remained unmoved, his only show of emotion was the mock laughter. 

"Fool!" the leader of the SkullMeramon hissed out. "Do you not realize what happened." His mechanical voice stated as he looked upon the teen he now characterized as insane. "I have destroyed your partner!"

Matt's laughter died and his face instantly became cold as his eyes looked back at the ultimate with authority and rage.

"If you think you could destroy my partner so easily then the joke is on you." He replied his voice as cold as ice. "You only attempted to destroy my partner, and for doing so you will pay dearly!"

The evil digimon broke with fits of laughter again; this time they jeered at the stone teen saying, he was insane, as they all agreed that destroying him would be a pleasure.

As they laughed the SkullMeramon turned back around to see the destruction that their earlier attack had caused. 

The dust was still in the air, but some of it had settle. Soon the laughter died as more dust cleared, and the attacking digimon were met with a surprising sight. In place of splattered blood or small relics of the once brave rookie they found a magnificent wolf.

Garurumon's white fur glistened with health; his crimson eyes were dark and focused strictly on the SkullMeramon responsible for the attack. All of his lean muscles were tensed as he bent low preparing to pounce his opponent with the force of a missile.

"Let's see you hit this target." Matt stated with the promise of death hanging heavily in his tone.

Before the SkullMeramon could even acknowledge the teen's threat Garurumon charged, knowing that his partner's word were permission for an attack.

A flash of white and navy was seen, and the lead SkullMeramon was on the ground with a growling Garurumon pining him securely to the cracked pavement.

Garurumon's crimson eyes darkened to a deep red, his instincts as a Nightmare Soldier had kicked in and every thought in his mind was focused upon battle.

Matt smiled, pleased with his partner's show of strength, before he turned to his companions, allowing fake urgency to mask his face.

"Well are you guys going to help or not?" he asked almost frantically despite the fact that he had full confidence in his partner's ability to handle the opposing digimon.

Tai and TK broke free of their trance and then nodded uncertainly to their friend.

"Agumon!" Tai shouted as he pulled out his digi-vice.

"Patamon!" TK called as he removed his green D-3 from his pocket.

"Digi-volve!" the cry was in perfect unison alerting the two rookies of the power that would soon be theirs.

Tai and TK's digi-vices shone brightly as a screeching sound rang through the streets. The light zapped in powerful beams to the awaiting digimon filling the small creatures with their partner's pure energy.

"Agumon digi-volve to… Greymon!" In replace of the small orange reptile, a giant dinosaur stood. Blue strips streaked across a dark orange back, and a dark brown masked covered a scaled head revealing only light brown eyes and a large mouth with sharp reptilian teeth.

"Patamon digi-volve to… Angemon!" a deep and enchanting voice shouted as the tiny mammal digimon turned into a beautiful angel. Long snow white wings spread from the heavenly creature's back. Serene blue cloth flowed like ribbons around the angel's body, and a long brass staff was held with pride in a holy hand.

The two new champions wasted little time joining their friend in battle. Immediately Greymon blasted at the remaining Bakemon with a powerful nova blast. The fireball hit both of the cowering ghouls causing their data to brake apart, then lighted their deteriorating data on fire burning it like tiny pieces of flammable confetti. Now that the mocking champions were deleted, only the four ulitmates were left to deal with.

"There's no way we'll be able to take on all fur of those SkullMeramon alone." TK stated quietly so that only the two teens near him could hear.

'Garurumon and I could easily destroy those metal monstrosity, but that would mean…'

Matt shook his head clearing out his doubt as he turned his darkened eyes back to the battle.

Garurumon still had the leader of the SkullMeramon pinned, but the other three were now approaching him preparing to attack.

Greymon and Angemon intercepted two of the ultimates before they could reach their leader, but the remaining metal digimon used the opportunity to attack. 

Without warning the humanoid fire a metal fire ball attack directly at Garurumon.

Garurumon sensed the quickly approaching attack and jumped out of the way. His reflexes allowed him to avoid the attack and move to the perfect defensive position.

Now the leader of the SkullMeramon was back on his feet, and the wolf digimon was left to deal with two very powerful ultimates.

"Garurumon's going to get pulverized if we don't do something!" 

Tai's worried voice barley reached Matt's ears. The blonde teen had slipped out of reality as he watched his partner in the unevenly matched battle.

'I could always have the Renamon assist Garurumon, but that would leave my friend unprotected, or I could have Garurumon digi-volve, but then the attackers would know my secret.'

"Matt…hello… earth to Matt…" Tai's voice cut through Matt's reasoning and brought his attention back to his companions. "Aren't you worried?" the question was asked with a hint of fear, fear that the Child of Courage tried desperately to hide.

"A little." Came the soft reply.

TK and Tai both looked at their dazed friend with confusion. His digimon was facing two ultimates and he barely seemed concerned.

Angemon shot at one of the SkullMeramon with his powerful hand of fate. The attack of golden light hit the masked warrior in the stomach, forcing him to his knees in pain. The creature growled in frustration then returned to his feet just as the champion angel charged at him with his rod.

The giant digimon caught the attack with his left hand putting a steal grip on the righteous weapon then drew back his right and let it fly with a powerful metal punch. The blow hit the champion directly in the abdomen sending him flying only to crash painfully on the cracked cement below.

"Angemon!" TK shouted as he tried to dash for his fallen partner.

Matt saw his brother's panicked attempts to race to his injured friend's side, and quickly reached out a head and caught him by the color. Then using little effort he pulled the younger boy to his side and looked him directly in the eyes.

"You can't help him." he stated firmly, his usually soft voice sounding deeper with a darker tone.

"But" the younger boy began to protest.

"Have faith in his strength." Matt's voice returned to its gentle tone as he smiled sympathetically at his sibling. "Going out there will only make in more difficult from him." he spoke rationally as he released his hold on his brother's shirt.

TK stared in shock, confused at his brother emotionless words and expressionless face. 

"Matt how can you be so cold!" TK shouted, not angry that his brother had stopped him, but angry that the one he looked up to was being so cold while his friends were being injured in a battle. "They need our help!"

Hurt flashed in Matt's crueler eyes, but it quickly dissolved as he reminded himself of his duties. 

"Help is on the way." He reassured as he turned back to the fight.

~*~*~

"Hurry you guys! The others could already be in battle." Davis shouted, coaching his fellow Digidestined, as the group of eight children and eight digimon rushed down the street trying to reach the area under the greatest attack.

"Wait up Davis!" Ken yelled in reply as he picked up the once bouncing Wormmon and began to run again.

The remaining Digidestined had learned of the new attack from the radio they were listening to while they talked about the new developments in the Digital World. Upon hearing the DJ's frantic voice shouting about monsters and demons overtaking the city the group immediately grabbed their partners and dashed out of the middle school, knowing that their friends had probably already engaged in battle, and were probably loosing.

The group had been running in full speed, the area they had begun their race at was relatively vacant and quiet, but the further they ran the more people they saw fleeing from the city.

Izzy stole a quick look at his Digi-vice, making sure the group was on the correct course to intercept with their friends, then returned his attention to running, as Tentomon buzzed closely behind him. 

"Not much further now!" the computer genius panted out while trying to keep up with the more athletic group of racing children.

Davis had just turned his head to address the group once more, when he saw that the others had all skid to a sudden stop, and were now looking up at the sky with eyes full of both horror and rage.

Devimon and IceDevimon drifted in the sky using the heavy breeze from the near by ocean to glide like crows across the clouded sky. They circled the Digidesitned letting the wind move them, conserving their energy for when they would dive and snatch their prey. Red eyes gleamed as they focused on the exposed children standing below.

"What are those things?" Yolie cried as she looked at the fallen angel digimon with the fascination and fear that the broken digimon instilled upon all who gaze at them.

Izzy, the one usually equipped and prepared for offering such information as the names of certain digimon, cursed himself for forgetting his laptop. Without the advantage of technology he was unable to determine the identity of the white demon, but not wanting to feel completely incompetent he decided to offer what information he knew of the other flying creature.

"The black one is Devimon, they say he is the Lord of the Demon Underworld. We fought a Devimon when we first arrived on File Island, and it took the power of Angemon to destroy him. I have never encountered the white demon so I have no information on it."

"Great!" Davis replied back in agitation. "Not only do we have to fight a Demon Lord, but we also have to take on some whacked out version of the Demon Lord that we know nothing about."

"Gee Davis, do you think you could be any more optimistic." Veemon asked as he elbowed his partner in the leg.

Davis blushed upon realizing his poor attitude and then turned serious. "Well enough talk! Let's show these vultures what we're made of!" 

The determined shout brought focus to the entire group and all eight children retrieved the digi-vices as their digimon ran a head preparing for battle.

Davis was the first to move. "Digi Armor Energize!" he shouted calling forth the power of the Dig-Egg of Courage.

Bright orange light beamed from the blue D-3 like a halo of flame. The power swirled and then the Digi-Egg appeared. Within seconds the halo of fire grew and engulfed Veemon as the spiked Digi-Egg merged with the tiny-scaled body. Soon the light faded and Veemon had evolved into Flamedramon. A large blue body, much like Veemon's, along with flame designed pads with spikes, made up the Fire of Courage.

"All right Flamedramon! Do some major damage." Davis cheered from the sidelines.

Izzy looked at the spiked dragon with confusion, then turned to the cinnamon hair boy who was jumping excitedly on the curve. 

"Davis why did you have him Digi-Volve into Flamedramon?" he asked perplexed by the young goggle baring boy's choice.

Davis stopped his cheering then turned to answer the red headed genius. "Because Flamedramon moves quicker then any of Veemon's other evolved forms. These guys look like they depended on agility, so I thought Flamedramon would be the best match for them. Besides it's not like we can DNA Digi-Volve anymore, so X-Veemon wouldn't be much help."

Izzy, along with the rest of the group, were taken back by Davis' reasoning and what appeared to be logical strategies.

Izzy was about to stated how impressed he was with Davis' decision when the sounds of battle filled his ears pushing out all other thoughts.

The IceDevimon had grown tiered of waiting for reinforcements, as was the demons' original plan, and decided to attack the awaiting Flamedramon head on.

In a flash the ice demon dived down aiming his sharp talons at the dragon's unprotected stomach. Flamedramon realize what was happening just in time to place his clawed palms over his stomach. His defensive move ultimately saved him, but the delay in making it caused him to be unprepared for the force of the diving digimon. The IceDevimon rammed into the armored dragon's chest throwing him to the ground in the processes.

"Flamedramon!" Davis shouted upon seeing his partner take on the plummeting digimon.

Flamedramon landed in a heap of jagged rock and exposed rusted pipes. The sound of body upon cement and metal was sickening and the panic grew at seeing how easily the armored digimon was over powered.

"Everyone Digi-Volve quickly!" Cody shouted as he grasped his yellow D-3 tightly and then held it into the air.

Kari and Yolie joined the youngest of the Chosen Children and together their voices range out with a proud battle cry as they called upon the power of the Digi-Eggs.

The Digi-Eggs of Knowledge, Light, and Sincerity appeared from their bearers D-3's and in a flash of light joined by a shrill ring Armadillomon, Gatomon, and Hawkmon Armor Digi-Volved into Digmon, Nefertimon, and Shurimon.

The Angel of Light soon joined the battle by jumping in-between the injured Flamedramon and the approaching IceDevimon. Shurimon used his blades to rotate the air beneath him, which in return pushed him into the sky where he landed comfortably on a three-story building. Digmon immediately took on the role of protecting the children who watched from their place on the curve.

"Hey Sora!" Davis called to the Child of Love. "Why don't you take Izzy, Joe and Kari, and go find Tai and the others. They could be in trouble." 

"But Davis what about you guys?" the red head asked worry showing strongly on her face.

IceDevimon attacked, and Nefertimon covered her front with the angelic wings upon her feline body. The attack caused her to slide back, but the armored Holy Beast still managed to remain on all fours.

Shurimon was still on the rooftop, and for a moment he stood silently, completely forgotten by the attackers, until the still circling Devimon noticed him. In a swoop, as quick and unsuspecting as the IceDevimon's, the black demon dove for the Mutant digimon talons ready to slice through the off-white robe.

"We'll be fine. There are three of us and only two of them." the younger boy reassured. "Besides we always have Stingmon as a back up plan." 

Ken nodded in agreement with his DNA Digi-Volve partner, as did the little Wormmon nested in his arms.

"Okay…" the tennis player replied reluctantly still uncertain if abandoning the younger and less experienced group was the right decision.

"Tai and the others we're going to the area the news said was under the greatest attack. They need you." Davis stated hoping to eliminate any doubts the teen-aged girl might have.

Shurimon jumped into the air avoiding the charging Devimon's attack then sent his double star attack loose. 

The Devimon growled like a predator then did a leap into the air allowing the swirling blade to pass under him. He then flipped around doing a perfect back flip before landing in a kneeling position on the roof once more.

Shurimon caught his blade, a little aggravated that he had missed his target entirely, then flew back a bit landing on one of the air conditioners set in pairs along the roof.

The two digimon fell into a staring contest, each daring the other to make the first move.

"All right Davis we'll go, but you guys better be careful." Sora lectured before turning to the splitting group.

"Nefertimon and I will go a head, just in case the others need our help now." Kari explained then called her partner back from the battle.

As the Child of Light took her place on her partner's back, Izzy addressed the remaining children.

"Listen up everyone. Tai, Matt, and TK are only a couple of blocks away from here. We will go a head and secure that parameter, and assist them in any conflict they may have encountered. Come to that area as soon as you have vanquished these opponents. If we complete our task first then we will return to assist you in the remainder of your battle. Everybody understand?"

The group nodded, not wanting to waste any more time discussing battle, but rather ready to deal with the reality of the battle they were now in.

"All right, good luck every body!" Davis exclaimed in a confident tone.

With these last words the group split apart.

Nefertimon took to the air, with Kari riding on her back. The winged cat flew ahead of the racing children below, determined to reunite her partner with her brother.

Sora's group quickly took off in the direction Nefertimon had gone. They forced their worn bodies to go beyond its normal limitation as they fought back breathlessness and exhaustion. 

After the older group had vanished behind a corner Ken moved up until he was standing beside Davis. His almost violet eyes locked on the battle, and he flinched as he saw Flamedramon take on another hit from the IceDevimon.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" the despondent pre-teen asked allowing concern to enter his frail voice.

The other boy remained quiet for a moment. All signs of confidence and innocence had faded from his face and was now replaced with a sad yet strangely wise frown. His brown eyes flashed with the pain his partner was feeling, and the youthful Davis had been replaced with the leader of the second generation of Digidestined.

"No, not really." The jacinth hair boy replied in a tone match calmer and even a bit darker then any other he had every used.

Ken only nodded, knowing that he was the only other human who was every graced by the presence of this sterner Davis. Perhaps this was the side that bore his other quality. Unlike cheerful courage, this was mysterious friendship.

~*~*~

The clouds began to darken as the afternoon sun began to sink signaling the coming of evening. Dusk had yet to come, but the promise of twilight was present with the darkening sky and setting sun. The air began to cool, and the wind picked up. The harsh breeze lapped against the alarmed Guardians who were forced to watch the gruesome sight of their partners being beaten unmercifully by mechanical slaughters. 

Tears began to fill TK's once cheerful baby blue eyes and soon the emotional beating of seeing his best friend in pain grew to be too much, and the young boy broke down, no longer trying to hold back his tears. Each tiny crystalline droplet held the fear, hurt, distress, and anger the young pre-teen was feeling. 

Matt's heart broke when he saw his brother's tear stained face. TK, the once perfect symbol of innocence and hope had been shattered, like his partner's body upon the pavement. Looking at him now Matt almost didn't recognize him. It took every bead of strength the Young Lord had not to rush out into the battle and rip apart the metal ultimate, who had destroyed his younger brother, with his own two hands.

'This is all my fault, TK crying… it's because of me. I've already put him through so much pain, and now he's suffering by watching his closest friend being… no! I won't let TK's hope die. I won't let Angemon die!'

Suddenly the darkening sky was lighting with a brilliant blue light. The symbol of Friendship appeared on Matt's chest and streaks of blue energy veined through the sky. The blue rays rippled through the sky like ribbons flowing freely through the air. The veining energy continued to spread through the sky until it streaked across the entire city. Then the energy pulsed back and meet above the battle scene. In a flash the Crest of Friendship appeared like an emblem of power over the battle, and the energy latched on to the symbol making it the center of all the power. The crest was like the heart in a human body, pumping the blood where it needs to be, feeding the bodies limbs with energy. 

Following the example of the human muscle, the Crest of Friendship lit up brighter and sent its illumination through the veining energy. 

Tai and TK were forced to shield their eyes as the waves of light shot through the streaks of energy. Like a network of wires the veining energy sent the light to all needed areas and in one final flash the light vanished.

"You can open your eyes now." 

Tai and TK both pulled their hands away from their face slowly. When they finally forced their eyes to open they were greeted with a shocking sight.

The SkullMeramon stood, shielding their eyes much like the children once were. The four ultimates seemed more frightened by the light then any other threat the humans world had provided. The four soldiers were down on their knees cowering from the force of the rays, that had now vanished; their organic hands, clothed in steel bands with long spikes set in roles along the bands, covered their eyes, which generally glow like the light from a computer screen at night. 

"Where's Angemon?" TK asked in a daze, the beauty of the shining emblem of friendship still flashed in full color before his eyes and in his mind.

The young blonde's soft blue eyes immediately ran to the location where his partner had last fallen. The Child of hope had expected to see blood stained feathers scattered about the jagged rocks along with torn, dust covered cloth, and mangled pale flesh, but instead his eyes meet with a vacant burial ground. 

Angemon no longer lied broken on the many layers of pavement like a sacrificial lamb upon an altar, but now the holy digimon had risen into the air. The Crest of Friendship had veined out much of its power to the injured angel, the power of compassion and strength filled the battered champion with the same strength Garurumon was accustom to receiving. The power had wrapped around the angel like a blanket of security, the blue force, which was the physical sign of this power, had entered the angel's body through his upon wounds. 

The power flowed in brining the lost blood with it, restoring the fading life of the champion. Then the power sealed the wounds until even the scars on the outside were gone, leaving no sign that the angel had ever been attacked.

Now TK grew even more confused as he saw his partner hovering high above the battle cite with the same blue energy that had filled the sky radiating from his body in a brilliant blue glow.

"I don't understand." The younger boy spoke in awe as his eyes darted from his partner to the other two champion digimon. 

Greymon stood with the same blue energy pulsing from his scaled body, while Garurumon crouched low on all fours unfazed by the amazing events that just transpired.

"You don't need to understand." Matt's voice was deep and dark, but he words barely rose above a whisper. 

Before more could be said Garurumon charged. The white wolf tackled the same SkullMeramon using force greater then any other champion digimon had ever shown.

The SkullMeramon groaned as he hit the pavement. Garurumon had attacked before the ultimates vision had been restored. Now the metal digimon lay pinned securely to the ground, this time however Garurumon did not wait for interference. The large beast bit into the pinned digimon's shoulder, his dagger like teeth split the metal armor and pieced deep into the ultimates flesh, causing the humanoid to screech out in a metallic scream.

Angemon looked down upon the majestic white wolf and his fallen victim. His masked face showed no emotion as he watched the wolf release its grip on the ultimate's shoulder. He also did not flinch when he saw the oil like blood seep from the deep bite marks on the giant's shoulder. But the angel did respond when he saw a second SkullMeramon approaching the occupied Garurumon from behind.

In a flash the blue energy vanished and Angemon dove from the second SkullMeramon with his rod in hand, ready to stop any attack the ultimate might release.

Garurumon's head jolted up as he sensed the events happening behind him. His mind danced with what he knew was occurring behind him. Angemon's swift dive caught the SkullMeramon off guard, and the angelic digimon used this opportunity to temporarily cripple one of their opponents. The brass rod struck the SkullMeramon where the human kidneys were located. That area of flesh was unprotected allowing the powerful blow to cause more damage then one might expect. 

The SkullMeramon growled as he fell to his knees. His eyes brightened in rage and he quickly pulled himself into a ball and rolled to the side before the angel could strike again.

Garurumon now knew that it was safe behind him, so deciding that his particular position was not the most effective place to be, the white wolf leaped high into the air, flipped his body around, then landed before the fallen digimon. His teeth showing in a low growl, signaling that the champion was prepared to pounce again, the moment the metal beast stood.

The two remaining SkullMeramon's sight had return and they were now approaching their fighting companions.

One SkullMeramon pulled back preparing to release a Metal fireball attack when a ball of orange flame hit him from behind. The ultimate turned around in shock, his eyes flashing with furry as he saw Greymon standing tall as he growled aggressively at the remaining ultimates.

The SkullMeramon laughed amused by the champion's attempt to stop him, then released a Fireball attack this time aiming for Greymon.

Greymon tried to dodge the approaching blast but his large body was not built for swift movement, making it difficult for the giant dinosaur to move amongst the debris and avoid the attack.

Tai's heart began to race as he saw he's partner's approaching doom. He was certain that even Greymon's thick-scaled skin would not be able to withstand the powerful attack set loose by the metal warrior.

"Rosette Stone!" a charming voice cried out as three large stone tablets flew admits a barrier of pink energy and collected in front of the blast of energy. Pink light and blue flame flashed, mingling with the sound of stone cracking. Nefertimon's Rosette Stones had managed to stop the attack, leaving Greymon unharmed.

"Kari!" Tai shouted in both relief and shock as he saw his sister riding upon he feline partner.

Garurumon growled as the SkullMeramon struggled to his feet. The metallic digimon laughed, his drone voice was cold, but still held true amusement.

Garurumon's muscles began to relax some as he looked upon the mad digimon. His crimson eyes flashed with confusion, silently asking why the crazed ultimate had broken into fits of laughter.

"I know what your problem is." the metal digimon spoke in an almost singsong voice. "You're tired of holding back. Tired of having to pretend that you're nothing more then some weakling champion, when you truly hold the power of a great Nightmare Soldier." 

Garurumon was shocked by these accusations, but still managed to remain still.

The SkullMeramon smiled, knowing that he had made a mark on the wolf. Then he slowly stood to his full height and began to approach the champion in long uncertain strides.

Garurumon was in a daze at first, shocked by the revelation that this ultimate knew his secrete, and therefore knew his Lord's secret.

The SkullMeramon took a few more steps, closing in on the champion.

Garurumon snapped out of his shocked state, then bent low once more, growling as a sign that he would not allow the ultimate to come any closer.

Garurumon's warning was taken and the SkullMeramon stopped his approach, but a malicious smile still spread across his masked face. He leaned down a bit, wanting what was said to only be heard by the wolf, despite the fact he knew no other was listening besides the Child of Friendship.

"I know who your partner is." the ultimate sneered his smile spreading at the sight of the shocked and angered wolf's face. "Do you have any idea what our Master will do to him once all of you are stripped away." The beast continued jeering. "You will not be able to protect him forever. Soon my Master will meet with him, and he will rip that boy apart."

Garurumon's eyes grew distant at the thought of his beloved partner in pain.

"Of course this can all be avoided." The ultimate went on with his intimidating. "Just surrender now, and declare your friend unfit to rule. Better his rein be slaughtered then his life be taken."

Garurumon was in a trance, the thoughts of Matt going through more pain, and possibly even dying was too much for the distressed champion to bare. His mind grew numb with fear, and his limbs soon followed.

"He was never fit to rule anyway." The SkullMeramon finished, pleased with his task of crippling the powerful wolf.

'Garurumon wake up!' 

The sound of Matt's thoughts filled the champion's mind shattering the effect the mesmerizing SkullMeramon had put on him.

Garurumon blinked, his vermilion eyes dilated then narrowed focusing in on the creature before him. The white wolf shook his head feeling the cold wind brush through his fur and hit his face like nature's wake up call. All the fear SkullMeramon had instilled within him had vanished, being pushed out by the breeze, and then forgotten, as Garurumon's eyes grew vengeful.

Angemon struggled against his opponent. The new energy he had received from the Crest of Friendship had only served to heal his wounds, restored his fading life, and increased his defenses. Now the holy digimon was forced to continue his battle against the higher level digimon with the disadvantage of not being bale to digi-volve.

Gennia had made it very clear that the crest's power was no longer needed, therefore the crest themselves had returned to the Digi-World. The act of releasing the crest back to the world they were created to protect was especially painful for the Digidestined. The small pendants had grown to be a symbol of who each of the chosen were, and having to give them up had been almost devastating. 

But when the need to digi-volve had arisen the Digital World had returned the favor of power to the guardians through Azulongmon. But Azulongmon's crystal only had temporary effects, and the power was not nearly as great.

Now Angemon would give anything for the chance to carrier the power of evolution as he once did, and he was still baffled by the brief appearance of the Crest of Friendship.

SkullMeramon's long arms reached for the floating digimon. The large beast jumped in the air, like an excited child, as his long metallic covered fingers tried grasping for the smirking angel. Finally the robotic like digimon grew tired of this action and stopped his whiled jumping, then he pulled back his arm as though he were preparing to release a punch then pushed it forward.

Spheres of blue energy quickly formed around the SkullMeramon's hand, and in a flash the energy was released, heading for Angemon at an alarming speed. 

Angemon saw the attack coming and dove to the side, trying to allude the flying force. He was able to avoid most of the attack, but some of the fire swept over his wing, scorching his white feathers and sending a jolt of pain through his body. The fire had burned deep into his wing, and flying only caused him more pain. Soon Angemon was forced to drift down to the pavement once more.

The angel's jaw locked as his muscles tightened from the pain. He knew that his current place on the ground left him vulnerable, and the only advantaged he had over the ultimate was his ability to fly, but the ache from working his wing drew his thoughts away from the battle. 

For a moment he simply kneeled, waiting for an attack to come crashing into his broken form, completing the task that had already began, but soon a feeling of warmth filled his body. His head snapped to the side, and he looked at his injured wing in amazement. The burn was beginning to heal. A lapis glow radiating from the scorched feathers and the burn mark began to heal from the inside out, just as the other injuries had healed before. The ash covered feathers fell from the wing, and in a matter of seconds were replaced with new soft, glossy-white ones. 

The SkullMeramon walked towards the kneeling angel, like a hunter approaching its unsuspecting prey. He grinned as devious thoughts filled his head, then he placed his hands in front of him preparing to send another fireball to demolish the weakened champion.

Angemon's keen senses alerted him to the coming attack, but his wing had not fully healed. He looked at the sealing wound, hoping that the process could some how be sped up.

The wound was not healing quickly enough, and the ultimate was almost ready to release his attack.

"Harpoon Torpedo!" a deep cry rang out as five small missiles were released in the air heading directly for the looming SkullMeramon.

The missiles hit the metal digimon in the shoulder blades and on the back of the head, forcing him to fall over.

The SkullMeramon growled in frustration as he saw Angemon's wing heal and then watched as the champion digimon took off into the sky.

"Joe, Izzy, Sora!" TK shouted in excitement as he saw the three teens running quickly down the street.

Kabuterimon and Bridramon had flown ahead to joining the battle. Now the large phoenix like digimon was hovering above one of the SkullMeramon attacking Greymon.

Nefertimon saw that Greymon and Birdramon could handle the situation for the moment and decided to fly to the ground so Kari could be where it was safe.

Kabuterimon turned his attention to the second SkullMeramon attacking Greymon, and was soon joined by Ikkakumon who felt that Angemon was capable of keeping the now injured SkullMeramon occupied.

"Sorry… we're so… late." Joe panted out as he placed his hand upon his knees trying to catch his breath.

"Well better late then never." Tai exclaimed excitedly. The fear for Greymon's life had dissolved with the presence of his entire team.

Kari jumped off Neferitmon's back and landed gently on the cement. She then walk over to the group of Digidestined while the feline digimon took to the sky once more, eager to return to combat.

Matt didn't join the circle of children, but he did listen as Sora explained what Davis' group were doing. He took in every detail the red head replayed to their leader, but his thoughts were more on the battle before him, then the conversation behind. 

The other three SkullMeramon each had to deal with two opponents, and at least one of those opponents were flying digimon, however the final SkullMeramon would gladly take on a couple of oblivious digimon, including the flying pest, rather then the enemy he now faced.

SkullMeramon's plan to device Garurumon, or at least weaken his senses by clouding his mind with haunting thoughts, had failed, and now the ultimate was force to deal with his opponent in open combat, rather then planed strategies.

"What's the matter? Afraid?" Garurumon asked in a mocking voice as he paced in front of his opponent ready to pounce if the ultimate made one wrong move.

The lead SkullMeramon scowled, knowing that the wolf would show him no mercy, and also knowing that the Chosen Children and their partners were at their greatest strength when together.

The original plan had been for the attacking digimon to keep the Digidestined separated from one another, while part of the plan had seceded, with the newer children still absent, the rest of the strategy was completely ruined. To complete their orders, the children had to be weak, and the battle was not going in the ultimates favor. The only choice the lead SkullMeramon had at this point was to execute their second plan.

The other ultimates looked towards their leader, waiting for instruction. The lead SkullMeramon then waved his hand signaling the order to brake up.

The Digidestined were still locked in their conversation as the new arrivals shared their experience with the other chosen. Occasionally each child would scan over the battle making sure their partners were still safe, once they saw their digimon were still fighting, uninjured, they would turn their full attention back to the reaming Digidestined.

Matt kept his eyes locked on the battle. The azure orbs had darkened with anger until they were almost as dark as a clear midnight sky. The same beauty painted across the mysterious night reflected in his eyes showing that thoughts dashed across his mind as quickly as stars flashed in the sky.

Matt saw the exchange of signals between the leader and his troops, and he knew what their next plan would be. The SkullMeramon were loosing, and it soon became obvious that they had not expected a battle with all eight original Digidestined. All of the attacking creature's intentions had been to keep the children separated, cut off from one another. 

'A very wise idea, far too clever for these metal beast to have come up with. And I seriously doubt that Deamon gave this much thought to the attack. He probably gave the mission over to another, instructing this general to accomplish a certain deed by any means necessary. So it only makes since that there is a powerful digimon on the loose, and he came up with the plan for the attack.'

Matt's mind raced, and he soon realized what the SkullMeramon were planing to do next.

A dark cloud began to form in Matt's mind. His senses came alive as he felt a flagitious presence near by. The feeling of fear crept over him and began to grow, overtaking his mind like a cancer. There was something near, a malefic, baneful being with a mind as corrupted as a serial killer. 

Suddenly the SkullMeramon stopped their attacks against their opponents. An adumbrate rose from the ground like spirits rising from their graves. The mixture of shadow and fog grew thick and spread across the battlefield like an obsidian blanket. The shadows rose high over the ground covering everything below in darkness, then the mist began to thin. The darkness lowered, it seeped through the cracks in the pavement like a liquid and once the adumbrate had vanished only the Digidestined and their digimon remained.

Matt bit the side of his lip so hard that he was certain he drew blood, but still he did not release his bit, but only applied more pressure as the frustration within him grew. 

The SkullMeramon were gone. The strange cloud that had risen from the ground was laced with the power of a demonic spell, but only Matt and Garurumon could feel the source behind the now dropped curtain.

"I don't get it. What happened?" Joe asked as bewilderment shone on his face.

The Digimon left their post and began to head towards their partners. As the digimon began to crowd around, their large bodies towering high above their partners, Izzy found his full attention directed to his Digi-Vice.

"Maybe that cloud thing dissolved them." Kari offered as she petted Nefertimon.

"Unlikely." Came Matt's soft reply.

Tai looked at Matt, his deep brown eyes scanning over the slumped boy. Matt looked tiered, but he also looked frustrated. After everything that had happened the teen's mind still seemed to be on something else. Almost like his thoughts were in another would entirely.

"What do you think happened?" Tai questioned, hoping more of the riddle behind his best friend could be solved through the answer the blonde gave.

Matt silently cursed himself for speaking in the first place, but decided to answer as best, and as honestly, as he could.

"I'm not sure, but when has it ever been so easy that our enemies simply dissolve away." He stated kindly, trying not to offend Kari.

The others accept this answer, though Tai was more reluctant then others, then continued on with their theories on what could have happened.

"They're not gone." Garurumon whispered in Matt's ear. 

Matt merely nodded, his eyes suddenly returning to the angst soft blue.

"I've got it!" Izzy's triumphant cry rang out startling the other children. "They're not gone at all. They just split up and went to different parts of the city."

Everyone looked at the computer genius in surprise, waiting for further explanation.

"Our Digi-Vices are still registering them, only it says that they are in different location throughout the city." Izzy went on to explain, eliminating the baffled expressions on his compassion's faces.

"We've got to go after them, who knows what kind of damage they could be causing." Tai exclaimed, receiving quick agreeing nods from all the other Digidestined, except one. "You don't agree?" the young leader asked as he looked at his best friend.

Matt frowned then hung his head a bit. "I don't think splitting up is a good idea." He explained simply.

"Maybe not but we have to, how else will we be able to make sure they don't hurt anyone?" Sora spoke for the leader, arguing the point Tai was trying to make.

Matt gave in, deciding that he would have to deal with the separating in a different way.

"Okay here is what we'll do. Sora and Kari, you two will go after that one," Tai instructed as he pointed to the dim green light on his Digi-Vice, " he's the furthest away, but both of you have flying digimon so it won't take you too long to get there. Joe and Izzy, you take that one there, "again the brunette pointed to a light only this one was much darker signaling that it was the closest to the Children's current location.

"And I guess TK, Matt, and I will take the last two." Tai stated a bit uncertainly.

"But there's no time for that." Matt exclaimed worry written all over his face. "If we're going to split up to take these guys then we need to destroy them in one quick stroke." The blonde explained, trying to justify his outburst.

"Then what do you suggest?" Tai asked skeptically.

Matt took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the stream of disagreement he was certain he'd receive after he announced his plan. "Let Garurumon and I take the last one on our own."

He waited for a moment, feeling the stunned silence like a weight.

Tai looked at the pavement for a moment as he considered Matt's idea. "All right." He finally spoke softly, his words only adding to the shock of the group. 

"Really?" Matt questioned in surprise.

Tai nodded then looked up with a smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm not sure why but for some reason I think I need to let you do this." he explained, not certain why he felt so secure with his decision.

Matt smiled and nodded a thanks, not bothering to give any other farewells before he climbed onto Garurumon's back, and the two of them took off, knowing that if they had waiting any longer questions were going to arise.

"I can't believe you're letting him go off alone!" Sora cried in amazement.

"Yeah, me neither." Tai stated softly, before he nodded for TK to follow him.

And the group split apart once more not wanting to waste any more time with words.

~*~*~

The blood splattered across the pavement like paint across a once clean canvas. The gray city, decorated with debris, deteriorating trash, and other over looked fragments of human carelessness was now merged with color. Like a painting, the crimson fell into puddles and patterns on the cluttered walkway. The painting was a sign of many mistakes some in living, and some in the battle for the right to live, but the cause of the painting was unimportant, all that mattered was that more red continued to splatter on the pavement.

The sound of a large object flying through the humid air could be heard over the screams and cries of the fleeting citizens some blocks away. But the sound of the body flying, then falling, then crashing did not compare to the sight of the lean blue dragon being picked up from his place on the ground an then hurled into the air like waste being flung from a disgusted hand.

Flamdramon hit the side of the building so hard that cracks formed, windows shattered, and sound rang out. Flamdramon had been pressed into the wall like an insect being smashed against a windshield. The sound of the scaled body sliding from its landing place and then hitting the mounts of dirt and cement filled his partner's ears just as the sound of his body fly then crashing had.

Davis wanted to scream, or beg for the demon to leave his partner, but he knew that his cries would only serve to amuse the sadistic creatures. They found pleasure in the children's frightened eyes, they were intoxicated by the very smell of their opponents spilt blood. These beasts only wanted to destroy, there was no master needed to order them to kill, it was an action, perhaps even a hobby, they participating in as often as possible.

"Davis we have to retreat, they'll slaughter us if we don't!" Ken cried frantically, hoping his friend would agree.

"It's not us they're slaughtering." Davis replied in a daze.

Flamdramon picked himself up off the mound and struggled to his feet. The scales on his back had split open, forming a crescent shape from his neck to his shoulder and finally ending when it meets his backbone. His arm on that side had been mangled, and blue scales had turned purple as the bright red blood stained them, changing them to fit the image of battle.

The Devimon smirked at his victim. He laughed mockingly as Flamdramon went back into a battle ready stance. His laughter grew as Stingmon too rose from the pile of debris the demon had sentenced him to.

"Give up, accept your fate." The Devimon spoke, his demonic voice causing shivers to run down the Digidestined's spines. 

The IceDevimon soon joined his black counter part. A thin mist surrounded his body, the silver light resembled a halo, or an enchanting glow, but these analogies only seemed blasphemous to the Chosen Children, as none of them could ever see these beast as having an eliminate also found on angels.

Soft whimpers escaped Yolie's lips as she held the injured Hawkmon in her shaking arms. Her mind was in denial; she couldn't grasp the concept of what was happening. Only moments ago they were winning, but these Fallen Angels seemed to have a power that even the Guardians could not vanquished.

__

Shurimon jumped from his perch on the air conditioners, and went to slice through the hovering IceDevimon with the blade attached to his leg, but the ice demon only smiled and dashed to the side, causing the mutant digimon to fly past the building and fall down to the ground. Despite his unexpected fall Shurimon was still able to correct his position and land on his feet, but the IceDevimon did not allow him to remain there long. In a flash the white demon dove for the unsuspecting mutant and tackled him.

The two digimon rolled on the ground for a few moments, each trying to gain the upper hand. Soon Shurimon screamed out in pain as the IceDevimon dug his long talons into the white clothed digimon's back. The ice demon then yanked his clawed hand down ripping both Shurimon robe and flesh. Soon the white robe began to turn crimson as the blood flowed from Shurimon's fresh wounds and died the cloth to match its color.

Loud pounds hit the pavement as Digmon came running to his fallen comrade. The insectiod digimon grunted when he saw the full damage the fallen angel had caused. His narrow eyes focused on the ice demon, who now had Shurimon pinned on his stomach, and then a battle cry rang out as he released his Gold Rush attack.

The flying drills hit the IceDevimon directly in the back causing the demon to screech in pain, then jump off the injured Shurimon.

Digmon rushed over to help his fallen friend back to his feet, and then led him over to a more secure area. The two digimon staggered over to an open shed, where Digmon was hoping to leave Shurimon in safety, but their trek across the battle field was ended by a stream of ice hitting both of the armored digimon from behind.

Digmon lost his hold on Shurimon, and the mutant digimon fell to the ground in pain. The metal insect digimon ignored the burning pain on his transparent wings, and turned around to face the attacking digimon.

The IceDevimon smiled in satisfaction, as Digmon stood ready to continue the battle.

Flamdramon grunted as Devimon rammed into him, forcing him into a lamppost. The armored digimon hit the steel post hard, and the impact knocked out his breath. Devimon pulled back and then prepared to charge once more, but Flamdramon was prepared for this attack. As Devimon charged, Flamdramon slid to the other side of the lamppost, causing the Devimon to hit the steel post head on.

The metal pole cracked from Devimon's hit and then fell over. The light had fallen to the demon, and so easily to. This show of strength only caused more fear to rise in the watching children.

These demons were unstoppable, and all the digimon were now injured. Shurimon was loosing a great deal of blood at an alarming rate, and Digmon had been forced to the ground by another ice attack.

Stingmon laid injured on a pile of dirt and rock, unable to stand or even move. Now Flamdramon was struggling to remain on his feet, a battle that he was quickly loosing. 

"We've got to do something to help them!" Cody cried as tears glistened in his deep green eyes.

"But what can we do?" Ken asked looking towards his DNA partner for some sort of consolation.

Davis pulled his fingers into a fist; his knuckles soon became white from the strength of his hold. A fire lit in his eyes, and the rage that was swelling in his heart soon began to spill over into his sparkling eyes.

'I will not loose anyone to these creatures!'

The though ran over and over in his mind, but no action came of it.

"It's over, the Digidestined have finally been defeated." Yolie whispered sadly.

'Defeated… defeated by hell's minuends. Destroyed by darkness, and so easily to. I hate these demons, all of there kind, I hate them. I wish I could destroy then all… every last being that has anything to do with these monsters.'

Tears began to slide down Davis' red cheeks, anger, fear, remorse, so many emotions flooded over him. He was loosing his partner, and the very thought was too much to bare.

"No!"

The cinnamon hair boy shouted in rage as he abandoned his place amongst security and dashed blindly into the battle.

"What a little fool."

Devimon spoke with amusement as he drew back his hand preparing to relieve the world of such a worthless boy.

Flamdramon tried to get to his feet, but it was too late, Davis was in the danger zone, and there was no way to reach him.

Devimon released his attack, and Davis was defenseless.

Streaks of blue light streamed out in the sky. Veins of blue energy formed a network above the battle drawing all attention to the strange light show. The rays pushed back the approaching darkness of night, and warmed the ground with a comforting glow. 

Both children and digimon alike, were mesmerizing by the streams of lapis. They looked upon the sky in a daze, their minds too overwhelmed to consider the source of the brilliant glow. All they could do was stare until the light grew too bright, and they were forced to shield their eyes.

The ball of dark energy released by Devimon was still heading for Davis, but the young leader's attention had been directed to the lights above. Now Davis could no longer see, due to the intensity of the illumination, but this did not change the fact that the attack was still coming.

Both IceDevimon and Devimon were forced to the ground, the light casting an unknown fear into them, and sending waves of pain through their virus bodies.

No one could see what was happening, the light had rendered them all helpless. Putting them at the mercy of darkness and uncertainty.

No one saw the wounds on the armored digimon begin to heal. No one witnessed the blood return to Shurimon's battered body, nor could they see the ice melt away from Digmon's armor. Flamdramon's beaten muscles began to heal, and Stingmon's once paralyzed body was restored to full health.

These were all amazing events, ones that would have been wondrous to see, but the light prevented the show of miracles, and no one saw the digimon heal, nor did they see the graceful figure moving unaffected by the bright light towards the young leader.

Davis stood, ready to take the attack with dignity and courage, when two gentle hands grabbed him from his place and cradled him like a baby.

"It's not your time yet brave Guardian." A deep and commanding voice whispered into Davis' ear.

Davis tried to open his eyes, hoping to get at least a small glimpse of his savor, but the moment he tried light poured in forcing him to shut his eyes once more.

The light was beginning to fade, but Davis was still unable to see. He could feel the wind brush across his face as his carrier flew to safety, then he felt stillness before he was lowered to the ground.

When sight returned to the Digidestined they found no sing of Davis' savor, and the battle soon picked up where it left off. The healed digimon gave the children a new sense of hope, and they truly believed the battle would go in their favor.

'I don't understand, we were winning. That light healed our digimon and weakened the demons, and we were winning. But somehow those creatures found a way to regain their strength. They're just too powerful, and the battle turned around quickly when they attacked each of our partners head on with their most powerful attacks.'

Yolie tried to find and explanation to what was happening, to how they could go from winning, to near death so quickly.

Devimon laughed, his voice dancing on the wind and hitting the children like a piercing chill. 

"Surrender."

"We're not done just yet." Flamdramon choked out as he fell down to one knee.

"Yes you are." A new voice joining the armored dragon and black demon. This voice was feminine, charming like that of an enchantress.

Suddenly all attention turned to the building were Shurimon and IceDevimon battle upon earlier. There upon the building were four slender fox digimon each in a different pose. The fox which spoke stood up tall, her navy blue eyes looked upon the demon with disgust.

"Servants of the New Lord, how appropriate that they should be here." IceDevimon stated, mocking the Renamon, which stood upon the building.

The lead Renamon did not wait to hear anymore of the demon's jeering, instead she leaped from her place on the building. The dim light, piercing through the clouds, reflected off the rookie's shinny white fur. The coat sparkled in the sun, and the sight of the slender fox, flipping in the air with amazing acrobats and landing with perfect ease on the blood stained battleground, was like an image from a dream.

The foxes were visions of beauty, gifts from the fantasy, which is the Digital World. Even the children with such vas imaginations, had never seen such a sight as the four foxes diving off the building and engaging the demons like trusted protectors of innocence.

Davis was in shock, the appearance of the rookie digimon surprised him, but he felt relief flutter over him as he recognized the voice of the white Renamon to be that of his savor's.

The white Renamon, along with ken's protector, immediately attacked Devimon. Renamon's diamond storm attack hit the demon from both the back and the front. The sharp slits of diamond sliced through Devimon's flesh like razor blades run across exposed skin.

Devimon screamed as the tiny gems imbedded themselves in his back and chest. Crimson soon dripped upon black leather, darkening the black and adding a hint of red to the absence of color.

The remaining two Renamon quickly cornered IceDevimon, who had flown lower so as to better fight the ground stricken rookies.

"You pathetic rookies don't stand a chance against us!" the white fallen angel hissed out with malice. "We are effused with our Master's strength, his power and cruelty shine through us."

"You may have your master's strength, but we have our Lord's heart, and that is far greater then any dark power you could ever wheeled." 

The lead fox digimon spoke these words and it seemed as though the battle would begin again, but the foxes had little interest in drawing out the fight.

"We will show you how weak you and your master truly is, and we will do it in one attack." 

This threat only angered the demons more, and the rage soon boiled until it shone in their eyes. In one swift moment both demons prepared to release their most powerful attacks, but before the blast could be released all four Renamon leaped into the air, and in one powerful cry, they shouted Diamond Storm.

The razor like prisms headed towards the demons so quickly that both Devimon and IceDevimon looked as though they were frozen in time. 

The small slits pierced their bodies, tearing away pieces of flesh as they ripped though the floating beast. Rivers of blood spewed out from the cut, as the diamonds passed through. Amputated flesh and small limbs, such as fingers and horns, hit the ground in a bloody mess, and the mangled demons fell to the ground as their wings were torn to shreds by the attack.

"Looks like your not so hot after all." Yolie's protector sneered in a seductive tone as she winked at the bleeding IceDevimon.

Pools of red began to form where the rivers had reached a dip in the pavement. The demon's dark blood mingled with the armored digimon's vaccine blood, mixing like two completely different colors of paint stirred together.

The smell of burnt flesh along with the faint stench of spilt blood, filled the foxes nostrils, and their eyes lit up as the demon's ripped bodies began to brake into tiny pieces of black data. The reconfiguration took longer then usual, and it looked more like the demons were statues being worn away little by little from the howling wind and the cycle of time.

Rays of multiple colors beamed from fallen digimon to partner, and all digimon that remained were rookies.

"Veemon!" Davis shouted as he pushed past the fallen lamppost and large pieces of metal blocking him from his exhausted friend.

Veemon whimpered quietly as Davis picked him off the dirty ground and cradled him in his arms.

"Your going to be all right buddy, there gone and I'm here. I'll never let you fight again." the young leader sniffled out as he looked at the resting Veemon.

All the Digidestined had collected their partner and were now approaching the foxes from all sides.

"Thanks, whoever you are… you saved our partners." Ken thanked as he gave a small bow in his show of gratitude.

"Do not thank us child." The white Renamon spoke once more. "It was at the request of our Lord that we saved you, and at the strength of our own will that we destroyed our brothers." The first part of this statement was spoken in pride, but the last part held a since of grief.

"Lord? Brothers?" Cody asked in disbelief.

Renamon nodded and then replied. "Our leader is Piedmon's successor, chosen by Zhuqaiomon and the wise Digi-Core, he is the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers."

"But why would your Lord help us, and why did you call that Devimon and other thing your brothers?" Ken questioned, as he suddenly grew suspicious and wary.

The lead Renamon held up her hand as if to single an end to the interrogation. "Enough questions child, there are some things you are not yet ready to know. Now seek out your companions, I fear and even greater battle awaits you all."

With this final warning the Renamon leaped into the air then took to the buildings, disappearing upon the city's skyline.

Now the Digidestined were left with only one thought, find their friends.

~*~*~

"Look there he is!" Kari shouted from her place on Nefertimon's back.

Ruby eyes flashed with anger at the sight of the large SkullMeramon slamming his fist into a shop's window, causing the glass to shatter then scatter upon the sidewalk and the inside of the shop. The ultimate laughed, pleased with his handy work, then turned to another window preparing to shatter it as he had done the first one.

"Quick Birdramon we have to stop him!" Sora cried when she saw the metal digimon's next move.

Birdramon screeched drawing SkullMeramon's attention away from the shops and brining him out to the open road.

"Meteor Wing!" the cry range out and balls of fire flew from Birdramon's wings and fell towards the awaiting SkullMeramon.

The ball of burning rock fell like true meteors from heaven, but even the most powerful attack from the flying champion was not enough to render SkullMeramon defenseless.

The fiery rock hit the metal ultimate on his arms and chest, but the digi-cromoziod armor prevented the attack from having a great effect, and SkullMeramon merely laughed at the two humans and their flying partners.

Kari's soft ruby eyes gleamed with fear, her rational mind told her that a battle was useless, the lone SkullMeramon still over powered the two champions immensely, and without the option of digi-volveing, fighting would surely end disastrous for the chosen. These thoughts along with many other fears, fear for her bother, fear for her friends, and fear for the two worlds, clouded her mind with depression, blocking out all sings of hope. It was like a thick blanket or curtain had been through over the Child of Light's eyes, allowing her to only see darkness and despair. Kari tried desperately to put the feelings aside, and to think positively, but the feeling of dread still hung over her, and in her heart she knew that they were not enough to defeat this enemy.

"We're going to drop the two of you off on that building, you should be safe there." Nefertimon explained as she and Birdramon flew towards the building.

"Okay…" Kari replied uncertainly. She wished with all her heart that Tai was there with her, all things seemed possible with the Child of Courage near by.

Sora was on the building in a flash with her face fixed, and her mind on the battle. The red head didn't notice how reluctant Kari was to leave her partner, nor did she notice the single tear slide down the younger girl's cheek.

"Don't worry Birdramon, we'll be right here." Sora reassured the large phoenix with a confident smile.

The SkullMeramon soon grew tiered of waiting for the fight to come to him, so with a frustrated growl he pounded his fist into the pavement causing a crater to form where flat land once was.

"Are you going to fight me or spend your whole time talking!" he shouted in both fury and mordancy.

Nefertimon scoffed as she dove lower to prepare for the fight, then replied. "What's the matter, in a hurry to have your insides ripped out."

The SkullMeramon seemed to be pleased with this response, and with an arrogant smile he sent flying his metal fireball attack. The blue flame went soaring towards the fly champions, but both avoided the attack by flying to the side, causing the fireballs to fly off into the sky until they finally cooled and disappeared leaving only a small cloud of smoke as evidence of their existence.

"Nefertimon, let's attack together!" Birdramon suggested receiving an agreeing nod from her feline companion.

With two loud cries, attacks of pink stones and red flame flew through the air heading straight for the metal ultimate.

SkullMeramon brought his two large arms up and held the in front of his face, as he fell to one knee, and curled into a defensive position. The attack hit the ultimate head on, the Rosette Stones shattered against SkullMeramon's hard body, and the red flame fizzled out upon contact with his armor.

SkullMeramon laughed in triumph as he pulled himself out of his previous stance and looked up at his shocked attackers.

"It didn't even leave a mark." Sora stated in disbelief.

Terror shone in Kari's eyes, her nightmares had finally come to life, her world was falling apart and she could see no way to stop it.

Nefertimon dove at full speed towards SkullMeramon, but the ultimate saw the armored digimon coming, and he quickly moved, then caught the feline before she could hit him. SkullMeramon held Nefertimon tightly in his hand. He squeezed the white cat around the neck, cutting off her air supply. He held her tightly until at last she stopped struggling and fell limp in his hand. Then with a scoff and a pleased smile he through the unconscious armored digimon into one of the buildings near by.

Nefertimon opened her eyes just in time to realize that she was flying through the air, then she crashed against the brick wall; her armor cracking from the force of the land. Then her beaten body fell down to the ground where she laid in pain, trying desperately to fight back unconsciousness.

"Nefertimon!" Kari cried as she ran to the ledge of the building. The young brunette looked around desperately, and when she could not find the answer she sought, she climbed upon the ledge preparing to leap off so she could get to her fallen partner.

"Kari!" Sora shouted when she saw what the younger girl was planning to do. With speed the red head didn't know she possessed she dashed to where Kari stood on the ledge and grabbed the younger girl from behind.

"Let me go! I have to help her, let me go!" Kari shouted in anger as tears ran down her red cheeks. She kicked and fought against Sora's hold, but the red head stood true to her propose and held the Child of Light tightly despite the bumps and bruises she was receiving from the panicked pre-teen.

"Kari, you'll be hurt, maybe even worse." Sora explained as she tried to calm the younger girl.

"I don care! I have to help her." 

"Kari, listen to me, that's no way to help, you getting hurt will only make things worse." Sora shouted over Kari's struggling.

Birdramon let loose her Meteor Wing attack with a loud cry, but SkullMeramon sent out his fireball attack, which hit the burning rocks causing them to explode in the air.

Birdramon then tried to charge SkullMeramon with her talons ready to hit him like spears, but the ultimate moved out of the way, causing Birdramon to fly past him. 

While Birdramon's back was turned the SkullMeramon attacked with Metal fireball, the blue flame went straight for Birdramon's wings, the blue flame hit the champion in the back, and the smell of burning flesh soon filled the air.

The phoenix screamed in both shock and pain,as her back ignited with fire. Her screech rang out like a siren; it cracked windows, and gave headaches to both Sora and Kari. Birdramon spun around trying to put out the flame, but the breeze only caused the fire to grow, and soon her orange feathers were completely engulfed in blue flame. Another screech range out as the large champion crashed on the pavement below. 

From where Sora and Kari both stood, panic stricken and painting in fear, it looked as though Birdramon was a bond fire set to warm the invading digimon while they swept carnage across the land.

"Birdramon!" Sora shouted as she ran to the ledge of the building and looked out at her burning friend.

Birdramon was trying to role around, in an attempt to put out the flame, but her body was too badly damaged, and her data was beginning to show signs of braking up. 

Kari stood by the ledge, frozen in fear. Blue flame danced in her eyes as she watched Birdramon burn. Crimson painted across her gaze as she saw her own partner broken and bleeding to death.

'We lost, everything is lost. This monster, he's destroyed everything. I only wish I had the power to destroy their kind forever, I only wish I could rid the world of these beast and all like them. I just wish they would all die.'

SkullMeramon soon lost interest in the digimon, both were dyeing, leaving no reason for him to continue his attack upon them. Instead his blazing eyes fell upon the two girls staring down at the battle site, like maddens who watched for their lovers to return from battle. Both girls were in shock, frozen in fear, leaving them vulnerable for an attack.

In a flash the metal ultimate sent another fireball attack, this time aiming it for the ledge of the building. 

Kari's mind moved slow, her eyes saw the attack, she knew it was coming, yet she did not have the will to move, pain had placed shackles upon her ankles, and she stood still awaiting her doom.

The fireball crashed into the ledge, rocks flew and the ledge gave way. Kari cried as she began to fall with the large pieces of brick that were also sentenced to a pavement grave.

"Kari!" Sora cried in surprise, the attack only took away the portion of the ledge in which the younger girl stood, now the red head was forced to watch as Kari went plummeting towards earth like a fallen angel being throne from the place of security in heaven. 

Kari didn't cry, no fear flooded her mind, her only thoughts were of failure, failure to accomplish her sworn duty to protect both her world and the world of her beloved partner. Now both worlds would come into an apocalypse, and she would not be there to give light to those who suffer.

Slits of light blue and black crystal flew towards the falling rocks. The slits hit the rocks causing them to brake up into fragments of dust and small chunks of stone. Then a shadow moved through the battle cite, with the stealth of ghost, the shadow leapt into the air then caught the falling girl before she could meet her fate on the gagged rocks below.

Kari's eyes were shut tight as she did not want to whiteness her own demise, but the feeling of to soft fur covered arms caused her to dare a peak. The first thing her ruby eyes meet with was a pair of fog like white orbs. Eyes a grayish white, shone with an eerie halo, while raven fur was brushed by the wind as the fox digimon moved in a quick pace. 

Kari noted every article of this strange new digimon, from the comfort she felt by her presence to the startling uneasiness she felt when she looked into the fox's eyes. 

BlackRenamon seemed to have little interest in Kari, but her orders were clear, and her creed stated never to go against her Lord. With a small sigh she placed the startled child upon the ground, then rushed over to the fallen Nefertimon.

Sora stared in shock; her deep red eyes showed the confusion in her mind. At one moment she was certain that Kari was as good as dead, but now, not only was Kari perfectly fine, but knew hope had arrived in the form of a shadowed fox.

"Kari, are you all right?" Sora shouted from the rooftop.

"I…" the Child of Light was uncertain of how to answer, and even greater uncertainty filled her mind as she saw her savior kneeling beside Nefertimon.

Sora looked around the cracking rooftop. She wanted to get down, but no sing of a latter or stairs could be found.

"You could always jump." A voice offered from behind. "My Lord will catch you, all of you, maybe not directly, but he would never let any of you fall." 

Sora turned around startled by the new comer. She looked around the roof scanning over every item on the cracking building, but she still could not find the source of the voice.

"Who are you? Come out!" she demanded, although she was not certain she wanted a response.

Another fox digimon materialized before the frightened red head. 

"Why afraid? We've shown no signs of being hostile." The yellow fox asked, her question and earlier statement seemed to go beyond the current events, and reached into a different subject all together.

Soft blue eyes seemed to ease the fear in Sora's heart, and the kind feminine voice was like that of a mother, trying to soothe away the fright from a nightmare out of the mind of her child.

"Can you help me get down?" Sora was surprised by her own request, but also relieved when the elegant fox nodded a yes in response.

BlackRenamon leaned over the dyeing Nefertimon; her white eyes seemed to glow even brighter as they reflected the red flowing like rivers from Nefertimon's broken armor. The fox lifted the armored digimon's face so that she could look her in the eyes, then she released her hold on the feline's head, letting it drop back to the ground.

Kari wanted to rush to her partner's aid, but something within her told her that it would not be a wise decision. 

BlackRenamon closed her eyes blocking out the glowing orbs. She then began to chant in her deep feminine voice. Words like poetry danced from the fox's lips, in a language unknown by any outside of the Nightmare Soldier's domain. The spell was spoken with great ease, the black fox seemed to know the ancient practices by heart, and even as a rookie she was able to cast a spell that could heal the broken Nefertimon, and transfer her back to her lower form.

A dim black glow radiated off Nefertimon's body, and the armored digimon soon dedigi-vovled back into Gatomon.

All the wounds on Gatomon had vanished, but the small champion was far too weak to awaken. With a gentle grasp BlackRenamon lifted the white cat from the ground, and cradled her in her white-gloved arms. She then smiled, pleased with her own work in spells, and approached the stun Kari with a look of sympathy.

Kari took her partner from the raven digimon's arms, and held her close like a child holds their favorite doll for comfort.

BlackRenamon bowed in releasing her claim over the fallen digimon to her partner, then dashed off to the battle where SkullMeramon stood, ready to do to the foxes what he had done to the chosen's digimon.

Sora ran to Kari's side, and both watched as their protectors engaged SkullMeramon.

BlackRenamon jumped into the air and then kicked SkullMeramon in the jaw. The ultimate fell back a bit but still managed to remain on his feet. Now his full attention had fallen upon the black fox, and he did not notice Renamon going to the still burning Birdramon's side.

SkullMeramon sent his fist flying, but BlackRenamon easily dodged the attack. The ultimate then sent a Metal fireball attack.

The shadow fox saw this attack coming, and using her perfect agility, she leapt high into the air, executed a triple back flip, and then landed silently on the ground, with her fist clinched read for another attack.

Renamon looked upon the burning champion with pity. The bird was whimpering in pain, and the fire had burned her so deeply that without immediate help, she would surely die.

The gentle Renamon clasped her hands together as though she were praying, and then spoke in a light voice, a spell in the same language BlackRenamon had used. Her soft voice made the magic seem less dark and mysterious, but the spell still remained just as effective. Pink light circle her hands and spun like rings around a planet, then the light grew bright. The pink rays began to flow from the Renamon's hands to Birdramon burning body, like gleeful pixies were dancing around the body.

The fire was soon quenched, and the light vanished, leaving behind a small pink rookie, unconscious and undamaged.

BlackRenamon sent out a powerful Diamond Storm attack, and the black gems cut through the ultimate's armor reaching deep into his body.

SkullMeramon was forced to the ground, and oil like blood soon seeped out of the tiny cuts collecting on his large body.

Renamon soon joined the battle, leaving Biyomon asleep on the pavement. She fired her Diamond Storm attack, hitting the injured ultimate from behind. 

A mechanic scream echoed off the buildings, as both Renamon and BlackRenamon fried their Diamond storm attack together.

The slits of diamond cut through the armor, and pierced deep into the skin. The new wounds left SkullMeramon weak and vulnerable, an opportunity that the BlackRenamon had been waiting for. 

Quickly she leapt into the air, and then with incredible force she kicked SkullMeramon directly in the chest.

The force of her blow caused the remainder of the ultimate's armor to brake apart, and quicker then the attack itself SkullMeramon broke into particles of data.

BlackRenamon smiled as she landed where the SkullMeramon once stood. Small black particles of data blow around her like confetti, and the triumph of the battle filled both Renamon's with pride.

Renamon felt a taste of satisfaction in the out come of the battle. She may be one of the gentler Renamon, but that did not mean she did not enjoy the thrill of battle like all other Nightmare Soldiers. With a gleeful giggle she skipped over to Biyomon's unconscious form, earning her a disgusted looked from her companion.

Gently she lifted the bird rookie into the air, and then slowly she walked to where both Kari and Sora stood, staring in shock.

With a bow she handed Biyomon over to the eager Sora, who took her partner without question.

"Who are you?" Sora asked, as a few tears of relive fell down her pale cheeks.

"We are the greatest race of warriors that has ever existed, we are the Nightmare Soldiers." 

Pride filled both BlackRenamon and Renamon as the answer came naturally.

"Nightmare Soldiers!" Sora cried in rage. "But you're the cause of all of this!" she shouted as she waved her free arm in gesture of the battle.

Renamon hung her head low, feeling the anger rise in both of the young ladies. "As I said earlier, you have greatly misjudged us. We do not wish to fight you, however that does not mean we will not defend ourselves should you attack us."

With that warning both Renamon and BlackRenamon vanished, leaving no signs that they were ever there.

"What do we do now?" Kari asked as she looked at the sleeping Gatomon in her arms.

"I think we should go find Tai, he needs to know about this." Sora decided, and the two girls took off in the direction their digi-vices indicated.

~*~*~

"This SkullMeramon most have a vulnerability of some sort." Izzy exclaimed his voice clearly showing the worry in his mind.

"Yeah a couple of giant boulders might do the trick." Joe replied sarcastically.

Kabuterimon swarmed towards SkullMeramon ready to hit him with a beetle horn attack. He crashed into the ultimate, but the beetle horn only had the same futile affect as his electro shocker. SkullMeramon's hard armor could withstand both the insect digimon's attacks and Ikkakumon's attacks.

"Perhaps separating wasn't the wisest course of action we could have decided upon. We were already greatly over powered when the entire group was present, I don't believe two of us will be enough to destroy this particular monster." Izzy explained trying to coat his fear with reason, but finding it as futile as his partner's attacks against the source of his fear.

"Well gee, I wish you would have shared that with us before we all went our separate ways!" Joe shouted in aggravation. 

Both teens were on the brink of a nervous break down, and the stress of all that had occurred that day only seemed to keep growing with each positive thought they tried to push it away with.

Ikkakumon tried slamming into SkullMeramon with his horn attack. The force of the large body pushing against him caused the metal digimon to fall to the ground. Kabuterimon then used this as an opportunity to attack; with a loud cry he collected a ball of electricity and directed the energy towards the fallen digimon. The electricity conducted on the metal body, sending waves of pain through the ultimate's body. He cried out from the pain of the attack, but soon the electricity was lost to the ground, and SkullMeramon was on his feet once more.

"I can't believe it!" Joe cried as he saw the mechanical digimon rise to his feet.

"He shook the attack off like it was a shook caused from static electricity." Izzy added, noting why Joe had fallen into such distress. "If only we had a way to drench him with water, then maybe Kabuterimon's attack would have a more damaging effect." 

Joe's coal black eyes soon went from terrified to determine, in his mind if they needed water to win, then he would get them some water. The gleam from his glasses could be seen on one side of the battle cite, then another as his head turned quickly and he scanned over the area looking for anything that could help him fight the monster.

A fist slammed into Ikkakumon's jaw, immediately the bruise began to swell and a small trail of blood turned the woolly fur coat pink. 

Kabuterimon sent another electro shocker, this time hitting the ultimate in his back. The attack was just as powerful, but somehow SkullMeramon was growing immune to the effects of electricity. 

The metal digimon laughed at the champion's feeble attempts to destroy him, and then he attacked Kabuterimon with a metal fireball attack. The blue sphere of flame hit the insect in the chest sending him flying to the ground below.

Panic soon fueled Joe's determination as no sing of a water source could be found. His black eyes began to glisten with unshed tears and his mind began to race with horrible images of his partner's fate. Just as he began to give up hope for helping his friend his sights fell upon something. Along with the gravel and debris, barred and mostly concealed by crushed trash cans and their content was a black hose.

"Izzy look!" the eldest of the Digidestined exclaimed as he pointed to the pile of debris.

Izzy followed Joe's gaze until his eyes locked on the barely visible black hose. 

Without another word the two young men ran to the pile and began digging through it. They tossed rock, rotten produce, and decaying articles of human life about until they had at last reached the captive hose below.

"Harpoon Torpedo!" the small missiles flew high into the sky, whistling as they cut through the air, then for a brief moment they leveled up only to come crashing down upon the towering ultimate.

Shortly after Kabuterimon tried his beetle horn attack once more, but this time SkullMeramon pulled back his fist and swung it forward so that it collided with Kabuterimon's skull. The sound of the great beetle's horn cracking under the pressure of the blow was as sickening as bone braking under the beating of rods.

Kabuterimon fell to the ground, the pain in his skull blurred his vision, and he felt darkness creep over his mind. 

"Okay we have the hose, now let's look for the faucet." Joe ordered once they had completely freed the long rubber tube.

Izzy looked past the crumbling buildings and followed the line of the hose into an alley behind where he and Joe stood. "The faucet must be somewhere down there." Izzy suggested as he ran down the alley in search of the water source, with every step he pleaded that the pipes would not be effect by the battles above, and that the water would still run.

Kabuterimon was down, and stubbornly fighting back the blissful arms of darkness. He needed to stay awake if he was to protect his friend, but the blow to the head had caused a great deal of damage, and his vision was still shot.

Ikkakumon rushed to his friend's side, using his full strength to slam SkullMeramon away from Kabuterimon. 

SkullMeramon grew frustrated with the white champion's attacks and slammed his fist into Ikkakumon's side, cracking two ribs and sentencing the furry digimon to his side.

"Izzy hurry!" Joe shouted frantically as he watched the scene of both his partner and his friend's partner being tossed around like rag dolls, and beaten like punching bags.

The waste on either side of the alley seemed to grow the further the young genius ran. The alley soon became a road of banished hope as he found the end of the hose, but no faucet to connect it with. He now ran down the labyrinth of back streets seeking out some forsaken metal pipe for salvation.

Joe's voice echoed down the long street, but Izzy was too set on his task to hear it. His dark eyes focused in, finally adjusting to the barely lit alley. 

His pace sped up as it became easier for him to move in the darkness, but his mind grew numb and soon he was running blindly without purpose, running only to run. Tears trailed down his reddening checks and still he ran until at last the hose would permit him to go no further and he was yanked to the ground by the sudden lose in length of the rubber gardening tool.

Izzy hit the ground hard, splashing in a puddle of reeking water. His shorts were now drenched like his shoes and socks, and the smell of the water had already latched on to him.

Feeling defeated and terrified Izzy brought his legs up to his chest and began to sob quietly into his knees. His partner was lost, that he had accept, both worlds were doomed, that too became clear to him, and as these realizations hit him, he began to forget why he was really crying.

He couldn't understand why he was crying over a concept he had forced himself to be prepared for years ago, but he also knew that no years of preparations could truly prepare you for the reality of pain and loss.

The sounds of the battle behind him began to fade, and soon the silence of the abandoned back street and his own weeping was all Izzy could hear, until another sound invaded his ears. Through his tears a soft yet annoying sound could be heard, the perfect rhythm of small droplets of water falling from a dripping faucet and landing in a tiny puddle below.

Izzy brought his head up and looked around believing that he had imagined the sound, his blurry eyes scanned over the alley until at last they landed upon a faucet. 

The rusted spout let loose tiny drops of contaminated water, but from Izzy's point of view the dirty water looked like liquid gold.

Quickly the young genius scrambled to his feet, and without another thought he dragged the end of the hose to the leaking spout. Frustration began to build up as his leaping mind was unable to transfer its commands to his hands and it grew difficult for him to screw the hose on.

Ikkakumon took another bad blow this time to the back as he was still stranded on his side. Kabuterimon had forced himself to move a little away from the grinning ultimate, but he knew that the beast would soon return to him.

'Izzy what is taking so long.' Joe's jaw locked in a look of frustration and he clinched his teeth together. Another blow like the last one and Ikkakumon would be finished.

The lanky teen was just about to yell into the alley once more when the sound of rushing water filled his ears. A thankful look replaced that of frustration as water began to fly from the hose in full blast.

With a triumphant _"Yes!"_ Joe turned his attention to the battle.

SkullMeramon was just about to kick the barely breathing Ikkakumon in the side, when a stream of water hit his face. The hose spit out the rust color fluid like it was disgusted by its taste, and the water hit the metal beast like he and it shared the same polluted being. 

Soon SkullMeramon was drenched, but that wasn't helping much since Kabuterimon was still too weak to attack.

The ultimate growled in anger as he began to pound his way towards Joe.

Joe saw the beast's attention had been turn towards him, and quickly dropped the hose, disregarding it, as it was no longer needed.

"Kabuterimon! Quick use your electro shocker!" Joe shouted as he took a few swaggering steps back.

The SkullMeramon was now on the curve, and Joe could no longer back away as he hit a wall.

"No where to run kid." The mechanical voice taunted as a hand drew back preparing to brake Joe's lean body with one punch.

The arm was then swung forward, and the Keeper of Reliability was certain that his time had come, that was until a strong hit pushed him out of the way.

SkullMeramon punched the wall, then grunted in annoyance as he realized Joe was not splattered on the wall and his knuckles.

The glowing blue eyes looked around seeking out the being who dared to interfere with his _fun_ until the screen like slits landed upon a yellow fox with light blue fur upon her stomach and at the tip of her tail.

Kabuterimon felt weak, and his data was braking apart, still he knew another opportunity like this one would not arise again. Summoning all the strength he had left, the insect digimon stood to his feet. His vision was still blurry and his head pounded, but he fought against this and focused his sights upon the SkullMeramon.

In one last act of strength Kabuterimon cried electro shocker, sending a ball of electricity directly at the soaking ultimate. After the attack was released Kabuterimon's body began to glow as his last bit of energy gave out and he turned into his in-training form Motiomon.

SkullMeramon diverted his attention from Joe who was still lying on the pavement and fixed his eyes on the small yellow fox who stood in a battle ready stance.

The giant ultimate was about to offer some belittling comment when Kabuterimon's electro shocker hit him in the back. The energy zapped through SkullMeramon's body as the metal and water helped to conduct the electricity.

The beast screamed in pain as his eyes lit to a bright yellow from the over abundance of energy flowing through him. With a final cry the metal digimon fell to his knees and the electricity fizzled out, leaving the ultimate weak.

Izzy ran as fast as his tired body would allow. The earlier run, and the crying left him short of breath, but he tried not to dwell on his wheezing or his weakening legs, as he sprinted back down the alley, not bothering to turn off the rusted faucet.

He could her cries and crashes coming from the battle cite, and soon he could see light as he approached the end of the alley.

Joe stared at the new comer in surprise. The slender fox digimon was smiling, obviously pleased and impressed by the humans plan to weaken the humanoid digimon. 

The glasses wearing boy was uncertain of what to do and was somewhat relieved when Izzy came dashing out of the alley only to skid to a stop and collapsed on the sidewalk from exhaustion.

"Not bad Digidestined, we are very impressed." Renamon complemented in an airy tone.

"We?" Joe asked confused by the rookie's use of the plural pronoun.

With a kind smile and a wave of her hand, another fox digimon appeared, this one was smaller with steel blue gloves, and glowing green eyes that seemed to hold some kind of cold joy at the sight of the beaten SkullMeramon.

Recognizing that neither of the Digidestined's digimon was fit to finish the metal ultimate off, both Renamon leapt into the air, and in one loud cry released their most powerful attack, Diamond storm.

SkullMeramon screamed as his already burning and split skin was sliced into bloody ribbons by the rookies' attack.

His mechanical voice screaming in pain seemed to bring some satisfaction to all present; as they watched the creatures oil blood turn into data followed by his mangled flesh, until at last his steel skeleton dissolved away as well, leaving only injured digimon and frighten teens as show of his existence.

"Well, I found more pleasure in that then I thought I would." The first Renamon stated with a smile as she ran a paw through her fur with a smile.

"If only we had a way to study him, I'm sure we could have made his armor of some use, but yes it was rather pleasing." The second one agreed with the same sadistic smile as the first.

"What are you two?" Joe questions in shock.

The smaller fox turned to the boy still panting on the pavement and gave him a kind smile, free from seduction or ill intentions. "We are protectors, chosen by our Lord to watch over you, for the time being." She explained, still leaving her answer vague.

"Who is your Lord?" Izzy asked from behind as he tried to raise himself off the sidewalk, but failed.

"Our Lord is the wise warrior who shall bring a vengeance upon Deamon and all others who threaten our kind, he is the Lord of the Nightmare Solders." The smaller one replied her eyes flashing a bit with her answer.

"Thanks that really clears things up." Joe replied as he finally lifted himself off the sidewalk.

Both Renamon smiled curtly then dashed down the alley, disappearing in the shadowed maze of the back streets.

"Wait!" Izzy cried as he forced himself to stand and ran to the entrance of the alley. "They're gone." the red head stated as he turned back to face Joe who was now standing behind him.

Joe nodded acknowledging his friend, before he headed out to the battle cite to look after the bleeding Ikkakumon. 

Izzy too abandoned the thought of chasing after the mysterious foxes and went to retrieve Motiomon.

"Well, what now?" Izzy asked as he picked up the unconscious pink digimon.

Joe looked sadly at his partner as a bright light engulfed him then faded leaving a bruised Gomamon in place of a bleeding Ikkakumon.

Joe shrugged his shoulders in answer to Izzy's question as he picked Gomamon off the ground and smiled at the snoozing seal. "Sleep well my friend." 

"Maybe we should go after Matt." Izzy began uncertainly, "He did go off alone, and if he's having as much trouble as we did then maybe"

"What? We could get another hose and water the SkullMeramon to death?" Joe cut Izzy off, his voice sounding harsh. "Just look at them." he stated sadly, as he looked at his best friend, battered and barely alive in his arms. "They won't be able to fight anymore today, we won't do Matt any good." 

Izzy nodded, knowing that Joe was not angry with him, but just overwhelmed by all that had happened. "Then lets go find Tai. We may not be able to the him fight, but I have a feeling that that's where all the others will go." 

Joe nodded in agreement to this, and the two tired teens made their way down the blood stained streets, seeking out their leader.

~*~*~

Large paws landed so softly on the pavement that they made no sound. The wind, pushing past the great wolf, caught white fur and brushed through it, caressing the top and going deep to touch flesh. Garurumon's snout pulled up in a grin as all the worries of battle faded and he simply enjoyed the serene feeling of a cool breeze brushing past him, and the comfort of he best friend riding with ease on his broad shoulders.

Matt too seemed lost in the graceful rhythm of his partner's run. He closed his eyes allowing the cool air to lap against his pale face, and toy with his golden hair. His shirt flopped around him, but he didn't notice as his mind wandered, following the wind to some daydream of peace and prosperity in both the South, and his home city. Images of him sitting around with his trusted Generals, friends, and his beloved brother, brought a naive joy to his heart. He could see Tai and Ladydevimon, his best friend and his most trusted General, entering in a highly competitive game of soccer, while Sorcerymon, Izzy, Ken, and Joe talked about the science of the Digital World. The girls would all gather around Renamon and discuss the beauty of the grand Hall, and then everyone would lie in the shade and simply enjoy the others' company. This was a perfect picture, but just as it seemed that this flawless panting could in fact become a reality, a shrill scream rattled through Matt's mind, shattering his picture and forcing him back to the doom he was sentenced to.

Garurumon skid to a stop, almost sending the unprepared Matt flying. His red eyes reflected the image before him in a crimson tent. 

SkullMeramon stood, with arms flexed and an arrogant smile, over a woman who in one arm held a bag of groceries, and in the other cradled a terrified little boy, who could be no older then four. 

The little boy whimpered in fright as he clung to the kneeling woman for security. The woman held her little boy tightly, having completely forgotten the brown paper bag in her other hand. Both had tears streaking down their flustered checks, and both shook violently from fear of the looming metal beast.

"You know, it's so impressive when you have an ultimate digimon who can take on a woman and her young offspring, wouldn't you agree Garurumon?" Matt asked sarcastically, drawing the SkullMeramon's attention away from the woman as he slid off his partner's back and laded quietly on his feet.

"It's disgusting." Garurumon replied with a low growl as he spit out the words. "And cowardly."

SkullMeramon hissed in anger as he approached the confident teen and his wolf. 

Matt laughed at his partner's reply, knowing that he had already aggravated the ultimate digimon. "Perhaps we should teach this pest to respect maternity and innocence." Matt suggested as he crossed his arms arrogantly, and smiled in full confidence.

Garurumon growled in reply then charged SkullMeramon, who was now some distance away from the mother and her child.

Matt watched with a passive look as Garurumon rammed into SkullMeramon, who had placed his arms in front of him to absorb the impact. 

Garurumon pulled away then used his Howling Blaster attack, catching the metal digimon off guard. SkullMeramon grimaced in pain as the intense blue flame hit his left shoulder, scorching the exposed flesh.

Matt smiled, pleased with how the battle was going thus far, and then turned his attention to the woman and child. 

Thoughtlessly he walked pass the battle, showing little concern for the two large beasts crashing into one another, and approached the kneeling woman. With a compassionate smile he knelt down, by the two cuddled together, and laid a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder.

The woman had her head buried in her son's mop of curly red hair, she quivered under the sudden contact, and it took her some time before she would look up to face Matt.

Matt waited patiently, he wasn't going to force the lady to respond to him, but he wanted to get the two as far away from the battle as possible, and he couldn't do that without their cooperation.

"Would you at least look at me." Matt asked slowly, keeping his voice gentle and soothing.

Slowly the strawberry blonde woman lifted her head, daring to loose some of the security she gained from holding her precious boy so close. "Who… who are you?" she choked out, her voice raw from screaming and crying.

Matt smiled compassionately at the traumatized woman; he raised a stead hand to her check and cupped her chin in his hands.

The woman shivered at first from the teen's cool hands, but soon found warmth and comfort in his deep blue eyes. "I am a friend, and I'm going to help you and your child get away from here." He explained as he removed one of his palms from the lady's face and placed it gently on the shivering boy's back.

Suddenly all signs of innocence's and weakness faded from Matt's form, and in place of the young garage band, high school student, stood a ruler, powerful, wise, and merciful. 

Matt stood slowly, lifting the woman with a commanding hand as he did. He rubbed the child's back a bit, ending his shaking, and soothing away his fears, then signaled the woman to follow him.

Slowly the strawberry blonde flowed in step with the youth that lead her. They walked past the battle scene without fear, Matt carrying the woman's bag of groceries, as he led her outside of the danger zone.

SkullMeramon clutched his shoulder, his blue eyes blazing with rage as he locked glares with the unfazed wolf.

"You're going to pay for that runt!" he boomed, threateningly after he removed his hand from his wounded shoulder and pulled both palms into a tight fist.

Garurumon smirked at the injured and angered ultimate. He found great amazement in a beast doomed to die, that still felt he had some power over the situation.

Garurumon charged again, knocking SkullMeramon to the ground with a loud thump. His large paws were pushed into the ultimate's stomach, and his sharp claws dug into SkullMeramon's bare flesh like daggers.

"Get off me you fool!" the metal digimon cried as Garurumon's claws dug deeper into his skin.

"Even after all of this, you still have an attitude." The white wolf asked with a grin that exposed his pointed canine teeth.

"You haven't won yet." The ultimate replied his mechanic voice running like ice. With a defiant cry SkullMeramon brought up his fist and punched Garurumon in the ribs. The white wolf cried out in surprise, and in that moment SkullMeramon rolled to his side causing the wolf to fall to the pavement.

Matt turned around another corner, the woman still following him silently. His cerulean eyes scanned over the area, seeing no sing of damage. His keen senses then took over, his sixth sense telling him if there was any evil near by. After a moment Matt decided there were no signs of danger, then turned to the woman.

His blue eyes radiated compassion at the sight of the sleeping boy still clinging to his mother's shirt.

"Do you have somewhere to go from here?" the young Lord asked softly, hoping not to wake the sleeping child.

The woman shook her head sadly. "Our home was destroyed, that's why we were running." She stated a single tear running down her pale check at the thought of having nowhere for her and her offspring to go.

Matt's heart broke, guilt began to rise in his mind, and at that moment he merely wanted to fall to his knees in tears, but pride and duty prevented this. The woman's home was gone, nothing could change that, but he had to make sure no one else would suffer the losses this lady had.

"You're house may be gone, but your home is not destroyed. Home is any place you are with the ones you love, and he is still with you." With these words Matt stroked the sleeping boys frizzy red hair.

The woman smiled no longer seeing her loss, but instead counting her blessings. 

"There is a shelter about three blocks from here, I know for a fact that it still stands. Go there and ask for Mrs. Ichijoji. She'll take care of both of you." The blonde instructed.

"Thank you." The woman nodded in appreciation then trotted off in the direction of the shelter.

Matt waited until the woman was out of sight before he turned around and sprinted back to his partner, all the time hoping that his family and friends would be as lucky as the lady and her babe.

The large spheres of blue fire hit Garurumon directly in the skull. The white wolf bent his neck and closed his eyes, knowing that there was no time to avoid the coming attacks, and finding it the only way to protect his vision from the flames.

White fur was singed by the fire, and Garurumon could both smell and test the effect of the attack as ashes flew into his nostrils and mouth. His vision was spared from the blast, but too much damage was done on the face for him to yet open his eyes.

SkullMeramon laughed as he watched Garurumon try to clean his face by wiping some of the ashes on his front paws and legs.

"You're pathetic, I offered you a chance to receive mercy for both yourself and that little brat, but you were to foolish to take it, now both he and you will burn."

"Even if I am lost, then the only regret I will carry with me to my reconfiguration is that I will not be there when my Lord destroys your master and his evil forever." Garurumon stated his voice wise, as a counselor to a leader should be.

The champion tried desperately to open his eyes, but the burn left the lids raw and blistered, and the injures had swollen around his eye sockets preventing him from seeing.

SkullMeramon grew even angrier at the supposedly doomed champion's courageous words. His faith in his partner, and his confidence in the outcome of this battle made the wolf seem wiser and more native to the South then SkullMeramon, a digimon hatched of Forbidden Valley.

"I'll crush your Lord!" he cried as the anger and frustration built up. "Right after I crush you!" 

With this cry SkullMeramon charged the blind Garurumon, his large metal fist were ready to rip through the wolf's body, and his huge boots pounded like a wrecking ball against the street.

As he approached Garurumon, his speed grew, and the sound of his boots hitting the ground merged with the step before, until no exact movement could be distinguished by sound.

Garurumon waited, his snout was crinkled in thought, and he bit down hard as he allowed his senses to tell him what his eyes and ears could not. 

SkullMeramon was close, his fists were ready to fly, and his glowing eyes shone with rage.

Garurumon waited, waited until he could feel SkullMeramon's frustrated presence before him, then with a howl the wolf leapt to the side causes SkullMeramon to miss his target completely.

SkullMeramon grunted as he stumbled over without Garurumon's large body to help cushion his stop. He hit the ground, causing the earth to shake and the pavement to crack.

Garurumon wasted no time, his opponent was down, and even without his sight Garurumon still knew where the beast had fallen due to the crash and SkullMeramon's heavy breathing. 

With a powerful "Howling Blaster!" Garurumon shot out a stream of blue flame. 

A cry was heard as the stream of fire hit SkullMeramon. The blue flame consumed his body, burning everything, from armor to flesh. The ultimate's data began to brake apart as the body turned to ashes and in only a few moments SkullMeramon was gone.

Matt raced down the street, paying no heed to the smoke rising in the air, or to the screams of pain that seemed to radiate from the cloud; his only thoughts were of returning to his partner, whether he be the one burning or the one who set the fire.

He had barley begun his run, and was not feeling the effects of the fast pace race around the block, when he turned a corner retracing his earlier steps, and found himself back at the battle cite. Quickly he came to a stop, no signs of fatigue or shortness of breath could be found upon him, as he walked to his partner who was sitting patiently awaiting his friend's return.

"What did that over seized action figure do to you?" Matt asked in genuine concern as he looked at his partner's singed and blistered face.

"We deiced to fight fire with fire." The great wolf explained, remaining in his place.

Matt smiled and chuckled at the carefree response he received, but the smile soon faded as the seriousness of the situation hit.

Matt sighed, feeling old and worn, as he walked over to his blind friend. "Well we can't let you remain like this, Ladydevimon would get too much of a kick out of having you, following her around blindly." The you Lord explained with a smile, earning a huff, then a small smile from his partner.

Matt clasped his hands together, his eyes shut slowly, and he soon focused his full attention to summoning his own strength. Slowly a light blue glow rose from his hands, like the power was seeping through the pours on his palms. The light completely surrounded Matt's sliced and scared hands, until it looked like a dim halo. The halo soon began to darken, as the soft blue became navy, the color of Garurumon's strips. 

Matt opened his eyes, and for a moment he stared at his clasped hands. The dark blue glow almost seemed a bit eerie compared to the lapis light that the young Lord had grown accustomed to, but Matt soon realized that the odd color was do to Garurumon and not himself. 

Digimon and Partner shared energy; their very life force was somehow connected. When the energy in Matt's hands had first appeared it was light, signature to the person who carried it, but Matt was preparing to hand over the gift to his partner, so a small change in the energy was needed to complete the process.

Matt smiled, knowing that this meant he was gaining better control over his own abilities, but he did not dwell on it long. After he saw the change in power he placed his hands upon his partner's injured face.

Garurumon smiled as Matt's cool flesh, and the ice like energy, made contact with his blistered wounds. The blue energy spread from Matt's palms to his fingertips, until at last the power was completely within the white wolf. The dark blue glow soothed the burns away, leaving beautiful glistening white fur in their place. The energy then went further, filling the tiered champion with fresh strength for the upcoming battle.

Matt pulled his palms away and waited until Garurumon opened his eyes. Slowly the crimson orbs appeared, and the blonde smiled glad to see his friend well again.

"Come on we should go find Tai and TK, the other have already begun to flock in that direction." Matt commanded as he took his place on his partner's shoulders.

"I guess this means they had less trouble fighting the SkullMeramon then we had expected." Garurumon responded as he stood to his full height.

"No, I don't think they did it alone." 

Matt replied, receiving an knowing nod from Garurumon before he took off, heading in the direction of his partner's best friend and beloved brother.

~*~*~

Well what did you think? I'm still working on my battle scenes, I know there not the best, but hopefully this part wasn't a complete failure. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my battle scenes then please share; I could defiantly use some direction with them. Also, as I said in the top author's note, the next chapter is already half way done, and should be out very soon, unless life decides to throw one of those unexpected turns my way, again… um… please review and have a nice weekend.


	13. Once in a Waking Nightmare

A/N: I know what you're thinking: "Man my calendar must be really off, because the last time I checked a week is seven days." well let me assure that there is nothing wrong with your calendar, a week is seven days, but unfortunately I've been bedridden with the flue for the last five days, which is why this chapter is late. So I apologize, and I'm letting you know that I will never say I'm going to get a chapter out in this many days, again, because it never seems to work out.

Disclaimer: don't own digimon, but if I did I assure you a lot of things would be different.

~*~*~

Okay so maybe that wasn't the best idea." Tai exclaimed as he watched Greymon hit the ground from the powerful shove he received from SkullMeramon.

"You think!" TK replied with the same amount of sarcasm. 

Angemon and Greymon were doing better then the two Digidestined had expected, but Tai's plan for a head on attack had failed horribly, and now both Angemon and Greymon had received painful blows. The ability to heal, which was placed inside of them by the Crest of Friendship, was steadily fading, and the wounds were healing slower with each attack.

"We've got to think of something; they're too tired to keep going like this." TK stated as he watched Angemon prepare to release his Hand of Fate attack.

The powerful beam of yellow light charged SkullMeramon hitting him directly in the chest.

SkullMeramon cried out, as he fell upon his back, hitting the pavement, like a great oak being cut in its trunk and removed from its secure foundation of roots.

The giant ultimate laid there for a moment, he moaned in pain as he struggled to retune to his feet, but found it impossible. Angemon's attack had rendered him helpless, and now all that was left to do was for the two champions to finish him off.

"Quick Greymon help Angemon finish that metal head off!" Tai shouted the order and watched as the two champions lined up, ready to end this fight.

In a matter of moments the two champions shouted in unison their attacks; then a stream of yellow light and a sphere of orange fire flew from the angel and the dinosaur, and hit the ground stricken ultimate head on. 

The two powerful attacks broke the pavement, and dust as well as large pieces of rock flew into the air. A blanket of earth and pavement settled over the site, preventing Tai and TK from seeing the effects of their partner's attacks.

"Did we get him?" Tai asked in confusion as he strained his eyes to look past the curtain, and fixed his gaze on the last place he saw the metal ultimate.

Soon the dust began to settle, and tiny fragments of earth sunk back to their place, leaving the air open and as clean as the city's pollution would permit.

The two teen immediately looked to where SkullMeramon had been lying at the time of the attack, their eyes widened for a moment as they looked upon the cracked pavement, then the two boys jumped into the air and shouted with excitement.

In place of where the large metal humanoid once stood was a vacant whole in the ground. A crater as a visual symbol of the giant beast's grave.

"Well that wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be." Tai expressed, though his voice held a hint of suspicion. 

The young leader had confidence in his partner's abilities to battle such threats, but he still couldn't understand how the two champions had won so easily. Finally Tai gave up on the problem and set his mind on congratulating his partner, but still the suspicion and the image of the Crest of Friendship, remained in the corner of his mind.

"I wonder how the others' fights went." TK stated, his voice quivering with concern for his absent friends.

Tai sighed, exhausted from the day's events, and then flopped down on the curve. "It got late real fast." He stated thoughtfully as he looked up at the overcast sky, noticing the lack of light piercing through the clouds. "Do you realize we've spent the whole day fighting, and we still don't know who we were fighting against." The brunette sounded defeated, he had grown tired of being a pawn in a war he knew nothing about.

TK could only nod in agreement, knowing what the older boy was getting at by he statement. "I hope the others are all right." The blonde spoke his earlier concerns, before drawing out his Digi-Vice. "Hey look at this!"

Tai jumped at the sudden increase of volume in TK's voice. "What?" he asked suspiciously, as he too pulled out his small digital device. After studying the instrument for some time Tai stood from his seat on the curve and smiled with relief. "The others are heading this way!" 

Only moments after the young leader expressed his relief Davis, Ken, Yolie, and Cody rounded a corner and appeared on the street.

"Tai! TM!" the young goggle-wearing boy shouted as he waved to the two boys on the curve.

"It's TK, Davis." The young blonde corrected flatly.

"Whatever." The other boy rippled lazily. "The two of you will never guess what happened to us!" the over exuberant red head exclaimed with far too much enthusiasm then the other two could handle.

"Let me guess." Another voice joined in and the group turned around to find Joe and Izzy trudging down the sidewalk. "Fox digimon came out of nowhere, saved your lives, gave you a rant about their grand Lord, and then vanished mysteriously." The eldest of the Digidestined spoke as though he had recited the events in his head.

"Exactly!" Yolie exclaimed with the same amount of enthusiasm as Davis had. "How'd you guys know?" the violet hair girl asked as she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, you know, that seems to be everybody's story these days." Izzy replied his tone as flat and cold as Joe's.

"Since when did the two of you grow such a negative attitude?" Tai asked, as he crossed his arms with dissatisfaction.

"Since we're carrying our barely alive partner's in our arms!" Joe shouted back, not amused by Tai's scolding. With a fatigue sigh navy hair teen turned his gaze back to the rookie digimon, resting peacefully in his arms. He cringed at the sight of the usually white seal who was now decorated with blotches of purple and brown as large bruises and welts swelled on his body.

Motiomon was doing little better, the tiny pink digimon was wheezing loudly, and he shivered from the pain breathing caused.

Tai's eyes widened when he finally caught a glimpse of all of the rookie and in-training digimon passed out in their partner's arms. All the tiny creature looked batter, like someone had tied them to a pole and beating them mercilessly with rods. Bruises and scraps covered the digimon's body's like graffiti painted onto a wall, only these painting were more then just vandalism, this painting was painful, life threatening, even.

"Joe I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so insensitive, why don't you guys tell us what happened so we can figure this out together." 

Tai coaxed gently, as he noticed that not only had the digimon been scared, but their partner's were injured as well. The injuries weren't the same of course, but they were just as painful, emotional bruises took more time to heal then physical, and they general ran deeper. All the other Digidestined were beaten, completely drained, both emotionally and physically. The combination of exhaustion and built up anger, fear, and concern wore all the Chosen to their limit, and Tai knew that his friends could never forgive the one responsible for their partner's pain, as well as their own.

"Maybe we should wait until Sora, Kari and Matt come back, that way we don't have to tell the story twice." Cody suggested, his collective voice displaying ease that was not present in his mind. "Where did the three of them go anyway?"

"Sora and Kari went to fight the SkullMeramon that was furthest from here, but according to my Digi-Vice they're only a block away now." TK explained as he held up his D3 for the others to see. "Matt went to fight the final SkullMeramon alone, he must be too far away, because I'm not picking up his signal." The blonde's voice held a hint of worry at mention of his brother, but he contained himself for the sake of the group.

"Well I don't want to just stand here, let's head in the direction Kari and Sora are coming from, so we can meet them half way." Yolie suggested, earning her agreeing nods from all present, as the group turned in the correct direction and began their walk.

The company of chosen guardians walked in complete silence, each lost in his or her thoughts, but the trek did not last long, as two swaggering figures appeared from behind a corner, struggling to reach their friends.

"Kari! Sora!" Tai shouted upon seeing the injured girls and immediately the group ran to the Digidestined of Light and Love.

Kari swayed slightly and rested her hand upon a bench to steady her shaking form. Just as he felt she could stand no longer she heard what seemed to be a distant voice calling out her name. Fighting against the hand of darkness stretched out to her, she forced herself to focus her gaze upon the source of the voice.

Tai's mind went numb, his big brother instincts took over, and his only thoughts were of getting to his sister's side. With energy he didn't know he had left, he dashed to Kari, and immediately put his arms under her, supporting her weight as he led her to the bus bench she had been leaning on.

The others arrived shortly after Kari was settled on the bench with Gatomon resting in her lap. Davis immediately placed Veemon next to Kari, then went to help Sora, while TK tended to Biyomon. Once both girls were sitting comfortable on the bench, Tai dared to bring their attention out of whatever nightmare they were still reliving.

"Kari?" his gentle voice asked receiving no reply from the traumatized girl. "Kari please speak to me." the brunette pleaded.

Kari gave no sign that she heard her brother, her head hung low, her skin was pale with fright, and her ruby eyes did not shine with light but glistened with unshed tears.

"Kari, please…" Tai tried again, not expecting a response but hoping for one just the same.

Silence again, silence that brought defeat to the young leader, until at last he heard words, words so soft that not even a whisper could define them. 

"I almost lost her…."  


The simply statement turned the Digidestined's faces from worry to remorse.

Tai was confused for a moment, his concern clouding his reasoning, until he looked at Kari's lap, and saw the beaten Gatomon. 

"Kari, Gatomon's fine, she's going to be just fine, and so are you."

"No." Came the hoarse reply. "I won't be fine, none of us will be fine!" Kari almost shouted. "They're destroying everything, nothing will ever be the same again."

Kari ended her outburst and fell into shaky sobs. 

Tai wanted to cry so badly, but he knew this wasn't the time, instead he wrapped his arms around his sister, and remained her strength.

"Kari, it's going to be okay, I promise." Tai reassured calmly as he gently stroked his sister's back.

"Oh but the little one is right, nothing will ever be the same again."

The Digidestined looked up, as the sound of the deep fiendlike voice filled their ears. There was no one there, but the voice still seemed to echo through their minds like a haunting curse etched upon their souls. 

Tai slowly pulled away from his sister and stood, his dark brown eyes still glisten with tears of sympathy for his younger sibling, and his body shook from the spell of the voice still circling around his head.

The young leader hadn't noticed until that moment how cold the air had become. It was like something out of a horror film, chilled air that ran its icy hands down you spin, creeping into your throat, like a cloud of sharp crystals, slicing down your windpipes and pushing to escape through your lungs. The howling wind tossed crinkled pieces of newspaper down the barren street, blanketed in a light layer of silver fog, which shone in an eerie gray glow from the dim street lamps. The tone was set for fear, a child's nightmare, but in the waking. And even Tai, the Digidestined of Courage, felt the spell of iniquity like a thick cloth wrapped around his head, suffocating him with fright and blinding him with despair.

"Who… who said that?" the young leader choked out, struggling to breath from the suffocating weight of fear.

"In the arms of blissful shadows,

Creep closer to me, my dear child;

I shall lead you there with bloodstained hands.

Where sorrow is a mark of beauty,

Where they turn to ashes what was once purity

Where despair is painted on a canvass of flesh,

A nightmare is a land where none may rest.

Creep closer to me, my dear child,

Crawl closer to the arms of blissful shadows."

The poem was chanted with a deranged joy, but still no source of sound could be found.

The clouds still hung low, but the sun had set, and no light fell through the obsidian ceiling. It was dark, cold, and the Digidestineds' only company was the voice perfectly formed from nightmares of hell and death.

"Who are you!" Tai shouted this time, the stress becoming too much for his mind to handle.

No real answer came, but laughter, deep and demonic, echoed in the children's minds. The laughter seemed to come from every direction at once, it pounded upon the Digidestined from every angle. Tai shuddered at the sound of the laughter, the mocking voice tore out all other thoughts from his mind and filled him with the insanity the voice held.

"Stop it!" the brunette shouted in fury as he raised shaky palms to his ears trying to block out the sounds causing him so much agony.

"The evening-breeze went moaning by, 

like mourner for the dead,

and stirred, with shrill complaining sigh,

the tree-tops over head:"

the voice began reciting once more, however this time the poem was common known, unlike the spell he had chanted earlier.

"You have entered the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and alone it would seem." The voice continued to hiss, taunting the children like a ghoul, finding glee in the teen's fear.

"My Guardian-Angel seemed to stand

and mutely wave a warning a hand-

with sudden terror all unmanned,

I turned myself a fled!"

Another voice finished the stanza, reciting the missing piece to the poem. 

Immediately the children's attention turned from the bodiless voice to the new source of words.

Golden locks waved softly in the chilled breeze, the loose strains danced lightly around an impassive face. Pale flesh accented the golden locks, making the teen look more like an angel then a mere mortal.

Matt stood perfectly still, his black shirt causing his fair skin to seem lighter. His blonde hair seemed to catch the few beams of light coming from the dim street lamps, reflecting off the locks like a halo. The young Lord seemed to fit in the eerie scene with his cold blue eyes shining in an icy stare, as they fixed themselves on a barren street.

"So the guest of honor has at last arrived." The voice continued, "And now that all are present, the fun may at last begin." 

At the summon of sickening laughter, the silver fog began to swirl like a small funnel. The swirling cloud continued on a merry-go-round run, and as it spun the gray fog began to slowly adapt an inky blackness. Soon the thick fog had turned into a black mist, and the Digidestineds' bodies stiffened as the dark cloud caressed their flesh. The mist was like a gaseous poison, and as it ran across the children's exposed skin, it burned them with an icy touch.

Tears started to run down Kari's face, as she desperately tried to ease the pain of the poison by rubbing her bare arms with her palms. But this was futile, and soon all the children had locked their jaws as the pain from the mist seeped deeper into their flesh.

Matt looked down at the rising poison, completely unimpressed by the spell. The mist hurt him just as it hurt the other Chosen, but to him it was simply a childish attack brought on by a coward.

"Enough!" Matt shouted in anger. "Either come out and fight us, or leave us alone!" he cried, the rage and annoyance building up inside.

"As you wish, Child of Friendship." The first reply was stated curtly, but the title was spit out with disgust.

Suddenly the mist stopped rising, it stayed at the same level for a moment, allowing the children to suffer just a little longer, before the dark cloud began to sink back down to the earth.

Matt smiled, satisfied that the spell was retreating, but he could not dwell on this small victory for long as a high shrill turned his attention to where he friends all stood.

Matt's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the ground near his friends. his sight remained on the group for a little longer before he began to scanned over the area until his eyes fell upon the ground in front of him.

The mist was falling, and most of it had vanished, but as the mist lowered to earth and met with the barrier of pavement it began to collect together, turning from a gas to a liquid. The dark stinging poison reversed the process of evaporation and began condensation in puddles on the gray road and sidewalk.

The blonde frowned as he looked upon the final layer of mist hit the earth and collect into a liquid. He then watched as that liquid spread until it met small craters and formed a puddle on the road.

The sticky fluid on his black shoes caused Yamato to frown in disgust before he walked towards one of the standing puddles.

Garurumon too cringed in disgust from the fluid, his knee sense of smell, and his natural hunting instincts told him immediately what the poison liquid was, and the sight of it sickened him. His crimson eyes flashed as the bitter, almost copper like smell of blood filled his nostrils.

The Digidestined were freaked by the poison then by the collecting of blood, but Matt only frowned, obviously not amused by the prank.

"You're sick." He stated flatly, "But you can't shake me with this, I've seen worse." He explained, hoping the show of disinterest would draw out the one responsible for the wicked spell.

Laughter rang out once more, and as the insane fit continued the puddles of blood began to flow like river. The standing, deep-red fluid boiled over the craters and began to stream towards a standing point some yards away from where Matt stood. The blood from all over the area pulled together into one puddle a few inches deep, the puddle stood collective and high, keeping the Digidestined in suspense as they waited to see what the blood could mean.

Garurumon tensed and his eyes focused in, as he prepared himself for a possible attack. Greymon and Angemon had come to stand behind him, and they too readied for an attack. Throughout all of this Matt remained calm, knowing that no battle would begin until the enemy showed himself.

The suspension began to build up, and the group of Digidestined huddles by the bench, held their breaths as they waited to see what horror would happen next.

Just as it seemed that noting would come to the puddle of blood, the dark liquid began to even out a bit, flowing from standing level, to an even circular layer over a small area of cement. Then an even more astonishing thing occurred as four different spaces of pavement around the blood began to change. The small areas began to darken, and then, even from a distance, it seemed that the cement itself turned into a liquid. The four small puddles of what was once rock began to wave and swirl, as the crimson too began to stir like a whirlpool. 

The Digidestined stared in disbelief as the now liquid rock continued to swirl with the large layer of blood in the center.

The swirling puddles had a mesmerizing effect, and the children fell into a daze as they stared at the puddles. 

The pools continued to swirl, when suddenly a hand, gloved in digi-cromoziod, reached out of one of the cement puddles. 

The Digidestined jumped in surprise when the hand reached from the pool. The dark gray, almost black liquid rock dripped and ran down the exposed-gloved hand, and soon the lone limb was joined by another object. The top end of a corrupted wizard's staff appeared, from another cement pool, the dark fluid ran drown the center orb and streamed down the spilt wooden handle. Soon the staff lifted higher and another hand clothed in digi-cromoziod appeared.

For a moment the top of the staff and the two gloved hands were all that appeared, then the five pools, four of pavement and one of blood, began to wave as though something were disturbing the flat liquid. The waves began to increase, like the ground shook from below. And the blood splattered in tiny drops on the soiled areas of road.

Soon the source of the disturbed fluid was revealed as the top of two large black wings appeared. The wings were darker then coal, as solid as bone, and as twisted and corrupted as the voice that taunted the children earlier.

The waving stopped, and the pools began to settle a bit, but that did not last long as the two hands, one empty and the other still clutching a staff, found the solid ground and laid upon them, as though the owner of the hands was going to pull himself out of the pool of blood. 

The hand found a steady grip, and more of the twisted black wings were exposed, as red, fleshless arms appeared, and the demon pulled himself out of the pools, with his head bowed, and his eyes closed.

It was ironic, the only way the onlookers could possible explain the appearance of the devil was by saying; that it seemed like a demon cast away, forever sentenced to burn in hell, broke past the barrier of earth, fighting its way from the underworld so that it could once more be free to torment the dreams of slumbering babes, because as this monster appeared it looked like the dead rising from a forgotten grave.

Blood and cement ran down red and black bone, streaking down black leather straps, and metal patches. The skeleton body now floated a foot off the ground, looking like a lifeless body hung by an invisible noose. The blood and cement continued to flood down the creature's body, dripping into the puddles with tiny splashes, until at last the creature was dry. The last of the blood and rock had vanished from the demon's bones, and as the last drop went to join the pools of liquid, the cement puddles began to harden until they were solid rock once more. Once the road was returned to normal, the pool of blood began to seep into the cracks of the pavement, returning to the earth, in replace of bones, blood shall rest in the vacant grave.

The Digidestined looked at the creature with more fear and disgust then they had shone any other living being. 

Matt looked at the beast, fascinated by his appearance, but also in raged; knowing that this was the beast responsible for separating the SkullMeramon.

The children and digimon watched, waiting for the creature to make some kind of move, but the beast simply floated in the air, motionless and wordless. They continued to stare, anticipating some sort of an attack when suddenly the yellow orb, resting in the red clawed handle, on top f the twisted wooden staff, began to glow in a dim eerie light. Like the color of a werewolf's eyes, the dim yellow glow gave of the image of a hunter, now in sight of its prey.

The orb began to glow even brighter, and in a flash quicker then any could comprehend, a small spark of dim yellow light shot off of the orb and headed straight for Matt.

The spark flew so quickly, that Matt barely had time to dodge it. He dove to the left, causing the spark to miss its appointed target, his heart, and to slash through his right arm.

Matt hit the ground with a loud groan, but quickly pulled himself up to his knees, as his left hand found its way to his lower right arm. His black shirt had been ripped, and blood was oozing out of the deep cut at an alarming rate. Another small pool of blood soon began to form, only this one was from Matt.

"Matt!" TK cried upon seeing his brother fall to the ground. 

A few seconds later the younger boy, along with Tai and Joe, where at the fallen blonde's side.

"Are you all right?" Tai asked as he knelt down beside the taller boy.

"I'm fine." Came the confident reply. "Really."

TK didn't seem convinced, his soft baby-blue eyes shone with concern as he removed his white hat and placed it on the cut. He then gently applied pressure, wanting to stop the blood flow without causing his brother anymore pain.

"Thank you." The soft words of gratitude were spoken with pride, as the older boy looked upon his younger brother with a kind smile.

TK smiled too, please with his own courage, and knowing that he was receiving a smile reserved only for him.

"Let's get you off the ground." Joe expressed as he stole a nervous glance at the demon floating near by.

With the help of Tai and Joe, Matt was standing once more. The white hat placed over his wound was now red from the blood seeping through the cloth.

Tai was enraged, he looked upon the blood stained hat, then turned his attention towards the creature floating near by.

"Are you going to fight us, or just hang there like a corpse!" the Child of Courage screamed.

At the summon of this threat SkullSatanmon jerked up his head and looked the brave child in the eyes.

Black hallow eyes stared at blazing brown orbs for a brief moment, then a quick hand swung the split wooden staff and a bright yellow ball of energy came flying from the dim sphere.

Tai's body stiffened upon seeing the coming attack, and he froze in complete fear as he watched the yellow sphere, a human skull engulfed in yellow energy, come flying towards him.

"Tai move!" Matt shouted knowing that the brunette had run too far a head for any of the watching children to help.

Matt watched as the skull came closer to its mark, he was about to shrug off Joe and TK's firm grips and rush to his best friend's rescue, when a blur of blue ribbons and white feathers flew past him and headed straight for Tai.

Angemon reached Tai just in time to act as a shield and take the full force of the blast. The skull shattered against his back, and pieces of bone pierced his flesh, digging deep into white angelic wings.

The force form the yellow energy sent Angemon to the ground, but Tai remained unharmed. The brunette knelt beside the injured angel, knowing that the attack could have quite easily destroyed him.

"Angemon… are you okay?" Tai asked softly, the only reply he received was shaky uneven pants.

"Even angels fall." SkullSatanmon's deep voice spoke casually, as his hallow black eyes stared at the human and angel.

Without word or warning, the red and black demon dove for the fallen angel, his staff was ready to beat the already injured creature.

In another flash of white and blue Garurumon was in front of Angemon and Tai, creating a barrier between victim and attacker. 

SkullSatanmon was not phased by the new digimon and with a loud cry he prepared to us his knell hammer attack.

The yellow orb encased by a red claw, slammed into Garurumon's back, sending him to his stomach. The white wolf growled, suppressing the erg to cry out in pain, and then struggled to his feet once more.

SkullSatanmon did not allow the wolf to remain on his feet for long, as he pulled back his hand, causing the staff to glow in a dim red light then flung his arm forward once more. The red light engulfing the staff was sent flying in a ray of power. The blood colored energy hit the tiered Garurumon in the side, tossing him to the ground once more.

Shortly after Garurumon hit the ground, Greymon joined the battle by catching the demon of guard with a Nova Blast. The large ball of fire hit the floating fiend directly in his exposed rib cage, but the powerful ball of fire fizzled out upon contact with the bones.

"I was born from fire and ash, no such attack shall defeat me." the creature hissed as he flew straight towards Greymon.

Greymon was completely defenseless, and his attacks were futile, SkullSatanmon knew this, and found that defeating the weakest digimon would be a small pleasure on his way to destroying the true prize.

"Knell Hammer!" the demon shouted as he drew back his staff and sent it flying towards Greymon's skull.

"Howling Blaster!" the stream of blue flame hit the staff before it could be used against Greymon.

The twisted wooden rod went flying from its owner's hand and hit the ground, being scratched in many places, but still remaining intact.

"You'll pay for that!" the demon hissed as it charged Garurumon, having completely forgotten the weakened Greymon.

Battle between demon and wolf went on for some time. Garurumon managed to dodge all attacks directed towards him, but SkullSatanmon was equally as capable of dodging the wolf's attacks.

As the two beasts fought Matt found himself completely intrigued by the forsaken staff lying only a few feet away.

While Tai, Joe, and TK tended to the injured Angemon, Matt went to retrieve the staff, felling its call like a siren's song.

With uncertain steps Matt found himself standing beside the wooden staff. The yellow orb had stopped glowing, and without its master to hold it, the rod seemed to be almost innocent. Just another forgotten toy of the enemy.

The blonde slowly bent down by the staff, he rested his folded arms on his knees, as he looked the rod over. The longer he looked at the twisted staff the more entranced he became. A simply wooden rod with red iron and a yellow orb, completely harmless. 

Slowly Matt freed one of his hands from its resting-place and lowered it towards the staff. The road painted in tiny blotches of blood and trash began to merge together until it were nothing but a forgotten shadow. The sounds of the battle behind him along with the cries of his friends become nothing but a soft buzzing noise in the back of his mind. Images and sounds faded leaving only the young Lord and the forsaken staff.

The blonde's once cool palms began to sweat as something deep within told him to pull back, to leave the object at its falling place, but he ignored this voice as the call of the rod filled his being, and with a new resolution Matt laid his hand upon the wooden rod then tightened his grip around it.

Angemon was in the air once more using his bronze staff to try and fend off the attacker. 

SkullSatanmon bent over and then flew towards the fighting angel; with his coal black wings ready to collided with the vaccine digimon and send him in a bruised pulp to the ground. 

Angemon was unable to brace himself for the hit, and when the bone-like wings rammed into him he was sent flying only to crash near the bench where the rest of the Digidestined and digimon remained huddled together.

Davis and Yolie rushed over to where Angemon had landed, leaving their weakened partner's in the care of the exhausted children by the bench.

"Angemon… you okay man?" Davis asked as he bent down beside the champion.

White feathers drenched in crimson lined a path, marking the rout in the sky where Angemon soared then crashed. Blue ribbons were torn and stained with dirt and blood, and one angelic wing fell limp, broken from the force of the impact. 

TK immediately rushed to his fallen partner, leaving Tai and Joe to watch in amazement as Garurumon and Greymon battled SkullSatanmon.

Angemon panted heavily; occasionally a soft whimper would escape his light pink lips as he felt his body going out on him.

Soon the crimson pool forming around his broken body began to glow a light yellow. The glow then engulfed the champion completely, dimly illuminating him amongst the shadows of night. The light surrounding him grew more intense forcing the three pre-teens to shield their eyes for a moment before the glow faded leaving in the angel's place a panting Patamon with disheveled fur, absent of all gloss as a symbol of how unhealthy the tiny rookie now was.

"Patamon…" TK whispered quietly as he gently lifted the orange and off-white digimon off the filthy sidewalk and cradled him gently in his shaky arms.

"TK… I'm sorry… he was too strong." The little creature panted out before his bright blue eyes rolled into the back of his head and the little rookie passed out, leaving the gruesome battle behind and embracing the blissful peace of unconscious.

"We have to do something drastic or this guy's going to crush us." Yolie stated her voice quivering with despair.

"But what can we do?" Davis asked softly, showing calm collective courage despite the fact that he was screaming inside.

"I don't know." TK's gentle almost childlike voice replied as all hope vanished from his being leaving only a frightened child and his beaten friend.

Matt wanted to scream, but his voice caught in his throat. The staff, once in his hand, began to glow a deep red, far darker then the light crimson staining Angemon's feathers only moments ago. The red glow seemed to turn from light to liquid as it touched his flesh. The inky substance collected around his scared hand and settled there, not bothering to work its way to his arm. Then the liquid went from a chilling grasp around his hand to a stinging poison, far more painful then the gaseous poisons that polluted the air before SkullSatanmon's arrival.

The scarlet fluid scratched across his skin until at last the many scars that he had acquired upon the pale flesh were opened and ready to ooze out tiny drops of blood. The poison prevented the blood from leaving the opened wounds, and as more of the tiny cuts were reopened Matt found himself in more pain. Having the small scars cut again was more like a jagged and dull razor ripping at his skin. The scars were opened by this brutal force and before the blood could escape the poison fluid pushed its way into the sores. 

Infection began to grow at a rapid rate, and the disease polluting the blonde quickly traveled to all corners of his body until it at last reached his brain. Contaminated blood carried the infection to his mind and soon his very vision was shoot with the effects of the poison. Clear images began to fade and all color began to merge together into an out of focused picture, and finally red crept over his vision allowing him to only see in a scarlet tent. 

Matt felt dizzy and the pain of the diseases caused his body to ache. The fluid on his hands had vanished, all of it seeping deep into his body, and once the liquid was gone Mat dropped the cursed staff and fell to one knee supporting his weakening body with his left hand. 

The blood throbbed in his ears making him deaf to everything around him, allowing him to only dwell on the sounds of his own body spreading the poison inside of him. The twisted staff had been freed from its master hand, but its master's essences still remained within the rod, ready to take prisoner the first being to unrightfully touch the forsaken object. 

Matt was that unfortunate soul, and a spell designed to destroy rendered him helpless to its attack upon his body.

TK lifted his gaze from the shaking form of Patamon and scanned over the battle cite hoping to get a better idea of where the fight was going. 

Tai and Joe stood at the front of the battle; both completely secure in their position, having full faith in Garurumon and Greymon's abilities to protect them.

Greymon stood some yards in front of the teens, acting as a shield, while trying to get in as many attacks as he could. Garurumon had taken over the responsibility of the actual battle, relying on Greymon only to act as a decoy, should he need a small rest.

The white wolf executed his tactics perfectly. Moving with great agility and speed, while managing to throw in an attack whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Seeing how equally fit the wolf and the demon were for battle, caused some rays of hope to fill TK's tired spirit.

Garurumon was fighting with skill no other champion had ever shone in known history. His Howling Blaster attacks had three times its usual effect, and his defenses were flawless. It seemed that no power could overcome the great wolf, and that the battle would truly go in his favor, that was until the white beast stopped moving. 

In one moment Garurumon dashed from curve to curve, keeping the battle running, and his opponent agitated, but in one single event the champion simply stopped, standing perfectly still in the place he last landed from a prier jump.

TK watched in horror as the once winning Garurumon began to sway on his four large legs until he at last fell to his side with a loud grunt.

"Garurumon…" TK whispered upon seeing the wolf hit the ground.

"What happened? He was winning." Yolie exclaimed in worry.

SkullSatanmon laughed loudly, his deep fit sounding like thunder, and beating upon the building like the crash if nature it imitated.

The demon did not wait to see if this was some sort of trick played by the champion, instead he held up his fist in front of the hideous skull that was his face and chanted a spell. At his beckoning a skull appeared in his palm and he griped the bone like a baseball before preparing to release it just as a pitcher would.

The skull soon lit up in a yellow halo and was then sent flying from the demons hands.

The attack crashed with a loud bang upon Garurumon's stomach causing the wolf to groan in pain.

"Garurumon get up!" TK shouted, feeling the pain that his brother's partner now endured.

"I don't understand. What caused him to fall?" Yolie questioned, hoping for some kind of answer from the two boys she stood with.

"Hey look!" Davis shouted frantically as his soft brown eyes landed upon Matt.

Immediately his companions turned their attention to where the teen laid on the pavement by the forgotten staff.

"Matt!" TK cried then rushed over to his brother.

Tai and Joe turned around upon hearing TK's cry. It only took a second for them to join the younger blonde in rushing to their friend's aid.

Yolie returned to the group by the bench, taking Patamon with her, while Davis dashed after TK arriving at Matt's side only moments after Tai and Joe.

Matt coughed and wheezed, as it became more difficult to breathe. His vision had been invaded by red right before everything went black, and now he laid barley conscious on the cold pavement, forcing himself to breathe. He couldn't hear TK's fearful calls, nor could he hear Joe state that he didn't know what was wrong with him, all he could hear was his own blood throbbing through his veins along with his own rattled breaths.

"Do you think he was hit by a defected blast?" Tai asked as he helped TK push Matt off his chest and lay him flat on his back.

Davis looked Matt over closely, the blonde teen had his eyes shut almost lazily, and you could have mistaken him for sleeping if it weren't for his raspy breaths. 

"Matt can you hear me?" TK asked as he tried shaking his brother a bit.

The teen groaned his voice sounding groggy, but he made no attempt to open his eyes. 

It was upon hearing the battle cries in the background where Greymon still tried to defend the children from SkullSatanmon, that Davis realized that Matt had passed out the same time Garurumon had.

"Hey guys," the bearer of courage and friendship exclaimed, drawing the other boys' attention away from Matt's pale form for a moment. "I think whatever is wrong with Matt is also effecting Garurumon."

"That would definitely explain why Garurumon stopped fighting, but what do you think is wrong with Matt?" Joe asked as he turned his gaze back to the blonde being cradled in his brother's arms.

"You're friend there was a little too curious." 

Everyone's sights were set back to the fight at the summoning of the eerie voice. SkullSatanmon was floating a few yards away from the group of boys on the road, with Greymon and Garurumon lying injured behind him.

"It's such a shame too, I was hoping he would be awake, so that he might whiteness all the suffering he has subjected you to." The demon taunted as a grin, reviling sharp canine teeth, spread across his fleshless face.

"What are you talking about?" Tai demanded getting angry by the fallen angel's jeering.

TK jumped to his feet, leaving Tai to support his brother as he approached the skeleton, stopping only a few feet away from the hovering figure. "What did you do to my brother!" the Child of Hope shouted, his fury in his voice rising high but not nearly reaching the fury in his heart.

High pitch laughing, verging on a screech radiated from the demon's throat escaping through his mouth, not having to pass over any lips to emerge from body, to open air. The laughter was that of a crazed murder, an insane fiend revealing in the glory of his secrets. 

"Do not raise you voice to me child." The creature hissed deeply after his screeching had ceased. "It is not wise to have such a scene before the one who has taken away your protector."

"What are you talking about?" the pre-teen questioned as tears began to streak down his reddening checks.

More laughter flooded his ears before a wicked voice responded. "I have taken away the one being standing between you children and the Valley of the Shadow of the Dead, though it was not originally a part of my plan, it will fit in quiet nicely." With a wave of his hand the forgotten staff appeared back in the spell casting demon palm.

"I have taken away your protection, but my true mission is not to destroy the one that watches over all of you, how foolish would such an action be. My purpose is send a message to the protector, a message I am certain will serve its purpose perfectly." He continued in an almost candy-coated voice.

"Stop it with all of your stupid riddles and tell me what you mean!" TK exploded as he tightened his hands into fists of anger.

"If you truly wish to destroy an enemy then you do not simply kill him, but you destroy him both body and soul... and I will destroy my Master's enemy by killing his Hope!" 

Before more could be said SkullSatanmon dove for TK. 

All of the digimon were either injured or had returned to their lower forms, leaving no one to protect the defenseless boy. The demon grabbed him, taking no care to be gentle as he gripped the lanky blonde's thin arms tightly causing bruises to form.

"TK!" Tai shouted as he and the rest of the Digidestined looked on in fear while SkullSatanmon ran a black tongue over the young boy's check, which was still raw and sore from the poison gas.

"Let him go you sick sadistic freak!" Davis shouted as he tried to run to his friend's rescue but was stopped by Joe.

"Davis no! We don't need to loose two of you!" the doctor to be, instructed as he held on to the red head's wrist.

"But he's not after any of us, he was after TK all along!" 

Tai watched as Joe calmed Davis down. Unshed tears began to glisten in his deep brown eyes as he watched the boy who had become a brother to all of them, being tormented by the twisted demon. The creature dug his thick, sharp metallic claws through fabric and into thin arms, casing four small trails of blood to run down both arms.

TK squirmed in his captor's grasp, but his futile attempts to free himself only amused the fiend. The creature giggled like a giddy child and lowered its long neck down to TK's wounds, laughing as his body twisted in extraordinary ways. His long dry tongue lapped at the streams of blood, and TK squirmed even more as his cuts were invaded by the demon's saliva.

Scarlet and shadow painted across the abyss of formless dreams. Red and black serving as a curtain between the waking world and the calm sea of colors. Matt was in this sea, drifting comfortably in the colors, his mind not traveling past the velvet curtain of red and black. It was serene, and almost beautiful to simply allowing your mind to go numb and let the waves of color take you away. Nothing beyond the curtain matters, the voices had faded, the cold was no more, and the pain had been over-powered by the sweet dizziness from the staff's spell. It was a paradise to Matt, far more relaxing and inviting then the dark, cold, blood stained street he had just left, now even the street had faded from his mind. The battle never existed, and he was drifting away, following the enchanting call of the spell.

"Matt, please you've got to wake up…." Tai begged, hoping that his voice would reach the blonde in whatever daydream had taken him

'Wake up? Why would I won't to wake up? Why would I want to leave? It's so much nicer here, so calm, you feel nothing… so why would I want to wake up?'

"Matt, TK needs you… we need you, please don't leave us..." Tai pleaded, but still Matt would not stir.

'TK needs me? That's not true… why would he or anyone need me when I'm the reason all of this is happening. All the digimon's pain, all of my fellow Digidestined's pain… it's all because of me. they're suffering because of me.'

"Please Matt! TK's going to die if you don't wake up!" Tai was shouting now, he didn't know if Matt waking would save TK, but something told him that a protector could not protect unless he is awake.

"Give it up!" SkullSatanmon hissed, "all hope is lost."

The demon finalized his intentions then raised his wooden staff. He chanted a deep spell with the staff in one had and TK's blood streaked body in the other.

"TK!" Tai shouted his sweaty hands gripped onto Matt's black shirt tightly in anticipation as he and the other Chosen Children awaited the inevitable.

Matt coughed a couple of times, trying to clear his throat so that it would be less painful for him to breathe. His mind had been fighting, Tai's pleas, calling him back from the sea meant to carry him off to an eternal darkness, had been successful, and the intuition that his dear brother was in trouble forced Matt to risk the pain and open his eyes.

Dim light flooded his once scarlet vision, causing him to almost regret opening his eyes at all, as the cold, pain, and exhaustion crept on to his body once more.

His arms still hurt from where the spark of energy had hit him, and his head still pounded from the poison floating around in his system, but he could feel his body and his abilities fighting against the spell, and he knew that the effects would soon wear off.

After Matt had fought past the physical barriers preventing him from awareness, he noticed first that he was on the ground being supported from behind, and second that fear had flooded over the area like someone had opened the Gates of Hell and let every nightmare out into the earth.

"Let him go!" Tai tried shouting once more, the staff now glowing a very dark red.

Matt looked up upon hearing Tai's voice and saw to his horror SkullSatanmon cradling his weakened brother in one arms while holding a looming red staff above the child's head.

"TK…" Matt whispered, finding his voice still weak from the spell.

"Huh?" Tai looked down in shock, leaving the horror of the image before him in order to gaze into the eyes of the power of Friendship. "Matt, you're awake." The brunette whispered back just as softly.

At first Matt was confused, it seemed that he was still asleep because he had opened his eyes only to find himself in a nightmare. A beast gripped his brother in his decrepit embrace with the instrument that sentenced him to the sea of scarlet and shadow, now ready to use it to put the younger boy to sleep forever. 

It seemed like a nightmare, but Tai's grip on his shoulders informed him that the scene was in fact real. Once this reality was accept another wave of confusion washed over the blonde as he wondered why the Renamon had not taken action and saved his brother, then the revelation hit him. The fox digimon had no loyalty to the children; they were simply nameless subjects he had ordered them to protect nothing more. If the rookie digimon had known the children personally then perhaps they would have rushed to the Digidestined's aid, but they only protected the children because their Lord had ordered them to.

Matt had thought his plan to protect his friends was perfect, but he now encountered a great flaw in his design, and that flaw was him. He had ordered the foxes to protect the children in his absences, but now he was present, despite his weaken condition. The fox digimon, even if they had known the children, would not go against their Lord's wishes, and he had asked that they stay away when his was present, unless ordered otherwise.

The staff was now illuminated by the darkest of red light. The glow was a haunting halo, the color of blood, matching the streaks down TK's arms perfectly.

Matt coughed some more, trying desperately to speak, but finding it more difficult then it had been to awaken. All he had to do was make one simple order, but the spell still clog his throat choking him like hands tightening around his neck.

SkullSatanmon smiled, pleased with his spell as he began to slowly lower the staff towards TK. The young boy tried to struggle free, as tears of fear began to streak down his checks, but SkullSatanmon's grip was that of iron, and the boy only exhausted himself more with the effort.

"Matt!" the Child of Hope shouted as he saw his doom approaching.

Matt pushed himself up some, setting himself a little higher as Tai helped support him. Fear clutched his heart, his blood began to run cold, and he screamed inside begging his voice, the tool once used to enchant thousands, to grant him this one last gift. He would gladly give up all the praise, fans, and reputation if the words would simply come out.

"Renamon…" he choked out so softly that only Tai could hear him. "Renamon… please save… my brother…" the final plea was spoken and Matt fell back upon his support, knowing that he could do no more.

Tai looked at Matt with confusion; he was about to ride the blonde's words off as a sick man's ramblings when all of the sudden a cry called him back to the waking nightmare.

There were no lights, no show, and absolutely no sound as ten majestic foxes, each unique and beautiful appeared out of thin air, with faces looked ready for battle.

Nine of the foxes appeared close to the ground and remained on the road not moving, looking more like statues or stuff animal rather than leaving warriors.

The final fox materialized high in the air, some feet above SkullSatanmon. Without a sound this yellow fox fell on the demon, kicking him in the skull.

The skeleton was caught completely off guard by the attack, and as a result of his blindness TK was freed from his arms, and caught by a fox with multi-colored fur, who moved like a living flame.

Tai's protector caught TK long before he came near the ground then quickly carried the shaking boy to where the group waited in the middle of the road.

"TK, are you all right?" Davis asked as he went to steady the swaggering boy much like Tai was doing for his brother.

"I don't understand…" the young blonde's voice trembled a bit as he spoke. "Where did those fox digimon come from?" 

"Good question." Tai responded with a hint of blame that seemed to be directed at no one, despite the fact that both he and the boy he was supporting knew what was meant by the brunette's tone.

Tai looked at the younger boy with sympathy, his arms were not bleeding any longer, but he was certain that they still hurt. TK was still shaking, but Davis supported him, keeping the boy from falling to the ground from the overwhelming fear still lingering in his heart.

But TK was going to be find, the wounds would heal, and the fear would join the rest of the child's memories of pain, merging with them into a blur of nightmares set to return and haunt the boy once the lights were out.

Knowing this, Tai left Davis to tend to TK as he turned his attention back to Matt.

Matt knew his friend's eyes were upon him, he also knew that he could no longer avoid the truth, nothing would ever be the same for him.

SkullSatanmon charged at the triplet foxes knocking all of them to the ground, but his victory did not last long as Kari's protector tackled him from behind, causing both of them to end up in a tangled mess on the sidewalk.

The General used this opportunity to attack with Diamond Storm. The tiny rocks beat upon SkullSatanmon's frame, but still the demon was able to rise from the ground once more and continue with the battle.

"They won't be strong enough." Matt choked out between deep breaths.

"Who are _they_?" Tai asked, his voice firm so that his friend would not take the question lightly.

Matt sighed, "They're friends of mine," he began to explain, not certain of where to go after that. His voice was coming back, but he was still very weak.

"Friends… or servants?" 

The question was spoken with so much certainty that Matt knew his secret was out.

Joe, Davis, and TK looked at the two best friends, their conversation confusing them.

Matt saw the confusion in his brother's eyes and he felt the hurt in his best friend's word, it was at this time that he knew he had made a mistake. Somewhere between keeping them safe, and keeping the enemy off guard Matt had hurt his friends. Their pain was his fault, and the guilt he felt from this affirmation was like daggers ripping through his heart.

"Both." He stated as he sat up a little higher wrapping his arm around Tai's shoulder in a silent request to be lifted off the ground.

Tai granted his friend's request and Matt decided to continue. "They are both my servants and my friends." he stated, as he looked his brother in the eyes. "And right now they need help."

With a shaky hand, sweaty, pale, and scared, Matt reached for his Digi-Vice, then he snatched the white device from its place on the front of his jeans and held it tightly in his palm.

"What are you going to do?" the brunette asked in bewilderment upon seeing the device.

"I'm going to server the link between myself and Garurumon, the foxes won't be enough to fight this evil." The blonde explained. 

He knew that Garurumon hadn't been infected by any hex, but the link they shared was forcing the wolf to experience his pain. Matt was hoping that cutting the link between the two would call back the effects of the spell and the champion, but still we has skeptical that Garurumon and the fox digimon would beat this villain without the assistance of his power.

A dark blue glow, which quickly faded into a soft lapis, illuminated the tiny device for a moment before the white instrument went dormant in its owner's hands once more.

Matt fell back on his friend's support, closing his eyes in order to rest.

SkullSatanmon pulled back in surprise, he knew something had just gone wrong, but he wasn't certain what it was.

Suddenly a long white tail began to twitch; broad shoulders began swaying as four large muscular limbs stretched. Garurumon was waking up, the effects of the spell no longer upon him, leaving him with the strength he had earlier.

The white wolf groaned tiredly as he raised his body off the street, but his yawning and groaning quickly turned into deep growls as memories began to return to him.

He remembered Angemon falling, the children's tears, and he remembered catching a glimpse of his Lord hitting the ground right before the hex over took him. 

Now the effects of the spell were gone, but the anger at his friend's losses still remained, and this anger filled the wolf until it began to boil over in a brilliant blue light.

Matt opened his eyes just in time to see blue light engulf his partner from an unknown source, he then witnessed the light begin to change shape until it went from long to tall. When the light finally faded Garurumon was no more, instead in his place stood the second in command of the Nightmare Soldiers, WereGarurumon. 

WereGarurumon wasted no time with introductions; instead he charged the demon at full speed knocking him to the ground before the monster could register that there was an ultimate level digimon now in the battle against him.

SkullSatanmon hit the ground with an angered cry. The impact was so hard that two of his ribs cracked and dissolved into pieces of data.

The demon growled upon seeing his injuries, but he ignored them and was in the air once more ready to take on this threat.

"Knell Crusher!" the battle cry rang out as the attack was sent flying.

WereGarurumon waited patiently for the attack to reach him then brought forth his large clawed paws and slashed through the attack with Wolf Claw.

SkullSatanmon fluttered back a bit, surprised by how easily the werewolf had stopped his attack. His surprise was soon over run by anger as he saw the smug smirk on his opponent's faces.

The fight between the two had barely begun, but WereGarurumon knew he had won, and so did his opponent.

SkullSatanmon's hallow eyes held a trace of fear and reverence for the werewolf, but he did not plan to end his attack where it was.

With a quick chant another flaming skull appeared in the demon's hand. The skull's mouth was opened, and it almost looked like it was laughing at the onlookers, mocking them, as none of them knew what the demon was planing to do next.

The Renamon all took their place in front of the children they were ordered to protect. WereGarurumon stood on the opposite side of the Digidestined and their digimon, but he had full faith that the foxes would protect the children as they have sworn to do. 

Knowing that the Renamon were there allowed the werewolf to relax a bit, as he waited to see what his opponent would do next, that was until a thought struck him, there were ten foxes but there were eleven Digidestined present. 

'Matt is unprotected, I don't think the Renamon are concern with protecting him, they probably believe that he is more then capable of watching over himself, but they don't know how powerful that spell was.'

WereGarurumon's mind went into a blur as he began to run out of ideas. Charging the demon now that he had another spell ready could prove to be fatal, not only to him, but to whoever else was caught in the cross fire, but his partner was unprotected, and if he made a move in that direction then the demon would realize this as well.

SkullSatanmon flew higher into the air, and then he quickly turned around setting his sights on his target before sending the flaming skull flying.

Matt's body tensed up, the attack was coming, and it was heading straight for him. Without another thought the blonde summoned all of his strength and pushed Tai to the side before falling to the ground and covering his own head in an attempt to protect himself from the blast.

The attack came so quickly that only the Nightmare Soldiers and their Lord were able to register what was happening.

Matt was down and unable to protect himself leaving him vulnerable to the attack, which hit its mark head on.

Rocks cracked and a cloud of dust filled the air, making it impossible to see where the attack hit.

Soon the dust began to settle, but once the cloud was gone it only revealed another frightening sight, Matt was gone, and a large crater stood in his place. There were no signs that the blonde had ever been there, and a spell as powerful as that one could have quiet easily destroyed him so completely that nothing would remain to remind the world he once existed.

"And so ends the rein of another great Lord." The demon mock.

The Digidestined were silent, tears began to streak down some of their faces as their mind went numb with grief.

"Think again." 

The confident reply caused all eyes to look beyond the demon where they met with a joyous sight, Matt stood arms crossed and face impassive, as he looked the demon over.

"How is this possible!" the monster shrieked when he turned around to look at both Matt and the werewolf standing some feet behind him.

A small smirk spread across Matt's face as he locked a threatening gaze upon the floating fiend.

"I learned a new trick." He mocked, his voice sounding stern and dangerous.

SkullSatanmon threw his head back and screamed in rage, his powerful voice caused the other children to cower away, but Matt remained calm, obviously not amused by the demon's insane scream.

"It doesn't matter if your strength is returning! I will still destroy you and your beloved friends!" 

Matt only laughed lightly at this threat, treating it as though it was as hollow as the demon's eyes. Then without a word he raised his right arm and snapped his fingers almost lazily.

At this command both WereGarurumon and the Renamon charged SkullSatanmon.

The demon tried to fly away, but the General and BlackRenamon leaped high into the air a brought the demon back down with them.

Four Renamon released their Diamond Storm attack causing the demon to double over and fall to the ground with a loud grunt. 

The Renamon continued their assault relentlessly; their kicks and punches doing no mortal damage but still causing the beast pain as fragments of bone began to chip away from their blows.

Matt had crossed his arms once more, and an almost malicious smile had appeared on his face. Destroying this monster would have been too easy, and too merciful, watching him suffer pleased him more then he had expected. He wanted the demon to feel the pain that his friends had suffered, and satisfaction came with each screech of pain coming from the tormented devil.

Matt almost wanted to join in the fun of beating the beast to oblivion, that as until his eyes wandered to his brother.

TK, along with the other Digidestined looked on the scene with horror. The demon's cries of pain, the gleeful smiles on the digimon that tormented him, it made all black and white vanish, and the children couldn't decided who the true monster was, the demon or his oppressors.

Matt lowered his gaze from the terrified children then lowered his arms to his side. With a defeated sigh the blonde began to tread in the direction of the Nightmare Soldiers.

WereGarurumon stood off to the side, trying to suppress the laughter he wanted to pure upon the now beaten fiend, but finding it very difficult to do.

Matt and WereGarurumon stood silently side by side both lost in their own thoughts as they continued to watch the scene. Finally Matt could no longer take the thought of his brother watching this punishment, so he looked up to his General, who had stopped her assault on the demon the moment Matt had arrived and awaited her orders.

"Finish him off." The blonde ordered his voice even and calm.

With a bow of reverence all ten of the fox digimon leaped into the air and in one loud cry they sent the stream of diamonds flying.

The prisms completed the job that the rookies had began and beat away at the skeleton body, chipping off pieces of bone until at last there was nothing left.

SkullSatanmon was gone, the nightmare was over, but for Matt the true test was just beginning.

The Renamon fell inline waiting their new orders silently. 

Matt looked each of them in the eyes, smiling to show that he was pleased with their work then waved his hand dismissing them from his presence. 

Nine Renamon bowed then vanished, while the General remained behind and took her place at Matt's left side.

The Digidestined had left their former places and now stood across from Matt in a straight line with Tai and TK standing a few feet in front of them.

Matt took a few steps forwards; he saw the line drawn between himself and his companions. The wall of broken trust stood far too high for him to scale, he had betrayed his friend's trust, there was no way to get it back, unless he miraculously grew wings so that he could fly above the wall of betrayal.

"I don't know what to say." The blonde began softly, his intense blue eyes scanning over his companion's faces, faces that read betrayal and pain.

"I guess there's nothing to say, really." Tai began his voice cold and shaky with built up stress. "All this time we thought we we're looking for some illusive enemy, when the true enemy was right in front of our faces."

Matt lowered his gaze, unable to look his friend in the eyes. "I'm not your enemy, this doesn't change anything." 

"What are you talking about! Everything has changed." Sora shouted as tears began to streak down her face.

"Please try to understand," Matt began once again but was cut off by his younger brother.

"Try to understand what?" baby-blue eyes began to shine with unshed tears, the youth's voice was quivering, but still he continued. "You're the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, you stand for everything that we've grown to hate!"

Matt shook his head then looked back at his friends. His face was soft with compassion, and he hid the hurt in his heart with a true Lord's mask. "I'm still your brother TK," he began but again the younger boy interrupted.

"No, you're not…" he stated sadly, "Because my brother would never have kept this from us, my brother would have never allowed our digimon to be beaten so badly, when he had the power to stop it!" the blonde was shouting now, all the stress of the battle and his injured partner being thrown at this victim. "And my brother would have never lied to me…" tears now fell from light blue orbs.

Matt's heart broke upon seeing his brother's tears. He tried to lay a comforting hand on the younger boy's shoulder but TK just pulled away then turned around.

Matt pulled back, no longer trying to hide the pain he was feeling. "TK don't walk away from me." the elder brother pleaded, but TK simply kept on walking. "Please just listen to me!" Matt begged this time earning a harsh response from the source of his pain.

"Listen to what? More lies?" he asked as he turned to face the pleading teen. 

"No listen to the truth." 

"Forget it, if you wouldn't tell me the truth before, then how can I possibly know that you're telling the truth now." the younger boy replied coldly as he turned around once more and continued to walk in the opposite direction.

"TK!" Matt tried calling after him one last time.

This time the younger blonde snapped. "Just go back to your precious kingdom! We don't want you here King of Nightmares!"

"Brother, I'm sorry." Matt responded as he lowered his head in shame.

TK stopped walking for a moment, considering his brother's pleas for forgiveness, but the anger was still fresh, and the stress had reached its boiling point. Without another word the blonde took off at full speed in the opposite direction of his brother, cradling Patamon in his arms as he ran.

Matt didn't look up, he knew TK had ran, so there was no reason for his eyes to confirm what his mind already knew.

Tai bit the side of his lip, there was a time when he too would explode with emotional outburst, but years of battle and leadership had instilled some patients in his reasoning, and he thought very carefully before he spoke.

"They brain washed you didn't they?" he asked softly as he looked at his best friend.

Matt smiled slightly at the brunette's assumption but shock his head almost sadly. "No, no they didn't." he began almost remorsefully. "In fact they gave me many opportunities to refuse, but..."

"You didn't." Tai finished the statement as he locked eyes with the blonde.

"This is my destiny Tai, I couldn't refuse."

"No it's not Matt!" Tai argued back. "Your destiny isn't with them, your place isn't with them." as he spoke this he pointed a finger at Renamon to indicate his point. "It's with us, your place is with us."

Matt sighed deeply. "My heart will always be with you Tai, all of you, but this is the path that fate has chosen for me. I know it is, and… this is where I won't to be."

Tai took a step back; his eyes portrayed the shock and betrayal in his heart. He shook his head almost madly, he was loosing his best friend to his enemies, and it was simply too great a pain for him to dwell on.

With almost cold eyes he gazed back at the waiting blonde, then he nodded his head saying that he understood, despite the fact that he couldn't accept it.

"Well, they're waiting for you, then." He stated, as he looked hard at the teen across him before lowering his gaze to the pavement.

"Tai…" Matt began but was cut off much like TK had done earlier.

"Just go! Please." 

Matt nodded sadly before turning around and going to rejoin WereGarurumon and Renamon. Once he was lined up with them he pulled out his Digi-Vice then turned around and looked at his friends one last time.

"You may hate me forever, but I will never abandon you." He stated then tightened his grip upon his Digi-Vice.

The small white device began to glow dark blue then the light spread and in one quick flash Matt, WereGarurumon and Renamon were gone.

Silence was all that was left on the dark street, that was until a timid voice broke through the stillness.

"This isn't over." 

The group immediately turned around and looked at Kari, all of them happy to hear her speak again 

"He'll be back."

The looming promise was all that was said before the group of Guardians silently turned around and headed in the direction TK had ran.

~*~*~

When I first started this fic I had absolutely no idea what it was truly going to be about, all I had was this idea that Matt could call on digimon for help, but that it was this big secret. And then somehow this idea developed into TK getting hurt and Matt having to call upon digimon, and reveal his secret in order to save his brother. Of course the story has come a long way since this one scene, but I thought I'd just let you know that this was the first idea I had for this entire fic.

So what did you think? I hope the "Moment of Truth" wasn't a let down for you. Also if your wondering why the Digidestined turned on Matt, it because first off, Matt lied to them, second, they've been fighting all day and their partner's were hurt so a lot of stress had built up and they just took it out on poor lil Matt.

Oh and the first poem thing spoken by SkullSatanmon belongs to me, I only used it do to lack of something more fitting, but the second poem spoken by both SkullSatanmon and Matt is a stanza from _The Valley of the Shadow of Death_ by Lewis Carroll, and I've used another stanza of this poem in another chapter, but I can't remember which one.

Well this has been one long author note, so now its time to review. What did you think of the "Moment of Truth" and be very honest.


	14. Angel's Lend Me Your Might

A/N: hey guys, I'm finally updating. I'm really sorry for how long this took, I just had other agendas on my mind. Thank you, to everyone who is still around, and to everyone who reviewed or e-mailed me with support.

Emma: thanks for your suggestions.

Tenshi: thank you for your support and kind words.

Sc333: thanks for your encouragement.

FireBird9900: thank you so much, for your help and your encouragement, it's meant a lot.

And thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was all greatly appreciated.

~*~*~

Two callous hands held the rusted chain tightly, venting out all frustration through the firm grip. Already pale knuckles turned white and blue veins began to rise to the skin. One hand twisted a bit allowing the palm to rub over the chain a couple of times before the hold slackened and the two hands rested almost limply on the chain.

At first the swing remained still as two sneakers shuffled the playground dirt around, then the swing began to sway as two lean legs moved back and forth. The rubber seat suspended by two rusty old chains squeaked and creaked on its hinges, and the body moving it lowered his head as he followed the lullaby of the rusty metal.

__

"I don't know what to say."

"I guess there's nothing to say, really. All this time we thought we we're looking for some illusive enemy, when the true enemy was right in front of our faces."

"Tai, I'm not your enemy, this doesn't change anything."

"What are you talking about! Everything has changed."

"Sora, Please try to understand,"

"Try to understand what? You're the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, you stand for everything that we've grown to hate!"

'I hate him! He lied to me. I hate him…'

Crystal tears streaked down redden checks, creating a clean path through the dirt that had collected there. The swing began to creak again as the boy on it began to shiver from the night's chilled air.

Feet shuffled in the dirt once more, this time the sneakers dug little crevasses in the ground allowing the earth to build up around the shoes. The boy soon found himself leaning entirely on the left chain suspending the swing as he tried to curl up as a defense against the breeze.

It was late, and darkness had claimed both the jungle gym and the slide, leaving only the swing set for the youth to rest upon. Shadows played carelessly upon the equipment, with no worry of injury. Nothing could be broken and no one could get hurt when the only one there was an already heart broken and badly hurt child.

__

"TK, Please just listen to me!"

"Listen to what, Matt? More lies?"

"No listen to the truth."

"Forget it, if you wouldn't tell me the truth before, then how can I possibly know that you're telling the truth now."

Finally one of the pale hands completely released the rusted chain as its backside was whipped over a runny nose. More tears fell and sniffling was heard before the swing began to sway from side to side. Soon the sniffling stopped and all that could be heard was the metal hinges creaking in a perfect rhythm.

"A little past your bed time, don't you think?"

A simple huff was heard as the boy chose to ignore this new comer.

The sound of dried leaves crunching under slow steps mingled with the creaking of the swing and soon another had found his way to the old rusty swing set.

One swayed side to side, stopping at a safe distance from his neighbor as the other swing began to rock back and forth. Neither of the playground occupants spoke, instead rusty metal said the words neither wanted to say.

The wind picked up once more, shifting the clouds so that silver rays of moonlight came to join the shadows in the sports upon the playground. The chilled air reached the first boy's bones and he pulled himself even closer to the chain he leaned upon, while stopping his pendulum motion.

Shifting from the other swing increased and then the first boy felt thick fabric blocking the force of the wind from reaching his once bare arms.

"Thanks, Tai." The boy stated softly as he pushed his arms through the sleeves of the jacket and pulled the cloth closer.

"You're welcome," came the equally soft reply.

Again silence and then creaking of metal until finally the first boy spoke.

"We use to come here before our parents split up."

The other nodded acknowledging the first's statement.

"I loved to swing, even when I was little; it made me feel like I was flying. We'd laugh and he'd push me on this very swing. This was always my swing, it was always the better one, it doesn't squeak quite as much as the one your on." the gentle voice stopped for a moment and another sniffle was heard. "It didn't matter how badly he wanted to swing, he'd always push me, get me going, and even after I had picked up speed, he'd still be here right behind me, ready to catch me if I fell, and so I was never afraid to fly."

"He was the wind beneath my wings too TK, and I never realized how hard that position must have been for him. We had such high expectation of him, always expecting him to drop whatever he was doing and come pick us up the moment it even looked like we we're going to fall. But we couldn't expect him to do that forever." Tai urged, trying to bring the younger boy out of his current state of mind.

"I don't get what that has to do with anything." The blonde pre-teen expressed with a hint of resentment in his voice.

"Come on TK, you know what I'm getting at. We all have our own path; it's time we let Matt follow his. It's time we let him fly."

TK growled in frustration as he pulled himself off the rubber seat of the swing.

"I don't understand you! You were just as mad as I was."

Tai sighed wearily as he too picked himself off the swing.

"I'm still mad, but I'm getting over it, he's my friend, I can't resent him for wanting something great in his life." Tai explained firmly.

TK's fist tightened up. "But you can resent him for lying to and betraying us."

Tai rolled his eyes in annoyance to the younger boy's anger.

"Whatever, I'll get over the lying thing, its not like we haven't all lied before, and I really don't consider what he did as betrayal."

"I still hold to the theory that he was brain washed." The Child of Hope stated bitterly.

Tai chuckled at this, "Yeah, that's what I thought at first too, but come on, Matt is way to stubborn to be brain washed."

This brought a small smile to the younger boy's face and soon some of the anger had faded from his blue eyes.

"Well you do have a point, but still why didn't he just come to us and tell us?"

"Maybe he was afraid we'd react the way we did, besides I think he tried to tell us back at the coffee shop, but was interrupt." The brunette explained his theory as he strolled to the sidewalk that ran through the park.

TK nodded agreeing with Tai's assumption as he joined his taller friend on the sidewalk.

"So what do you think we should do?" the younger boy asked with innocent eyes.

Tai smiled, for a moment it looked like that pest of a little eight-year-old looking back at him rather then this tall young man. "I guess we wait, I'm sure Matt will come back soon."

"I hope so."

TK's head lowered as he fell in place with his friend and the two of them began to make their way out of the park.

For a while the two walked in silence, both of their thoughts dwelling on the same question, will Matt come back.

"Hey Tai," TK began bringing the older boy's attention to him. "How'd you know where to find me? I didn't tell Patamon where I was going when I dropped him off at home."

"Matt brought me here once." The older boy explained as he continued to walk. "He told me all about the swing thing, and then he told me how proud he was when you learned how to fly on your own."

The younger boy smiled with contempt as he and his friend left the playground to the shadows for the night, and the two of them walked off together returning to the comfort of the light.

~*~*~

The wind brushed over the land as the east came to life with the rising sun. The warm golden rays that breached the great mountains gently washed over forest and plain, awakening the dormant plants from their slumber and welcoming the green leaves to an untainted day. Consciousness returned to the inhabitants of the valley and each creature, both small and large, rose from where they slept, ready to begin fresh with this new dawn.

The larger creatures went back to their building, while the smaller ones returned to the fields. All greeted this new day with excitement and a proud sense of joy as the fruits of their labors finally began to show on the land they had been working on. The great hall was now complete, and from the inside of the valley it stood out like a diamond among the ruff while from the outside of the valley one could not pick the difference between normal mountains and the cliffs that harbored the foundation of the South.

The sunlight seemed to find its way to all corners of Forbidden Valley, even the ones it was not wanted in. Still blue eyes, shadowed with heavy thoughts, locked on to the light creeping over the cliffs in the east. The light had yet to find its way to the lavish throne room, the picks of the eastern mountains were high and it would be noon before the rays made it past the over-shadowing cliffs.

Blue eyes shifted from the cliffs above, to the west, which was already illuminated with the dawn. The cerulean orbs caught a small glimpse of Trica, the three peaks in the center of Forbidden Valley, and for a moment thoughts wandered to the progress of the four citadels, before the orbs came to rest on the floor of the throne room.

Matt listened as the rest of the hall came to life. From his place in the throne room he could hear servants dashing through the halls, completing the final preparations for the arrival of the Leaders of the Three Islands. There was a great deal of pressure put on this meeting, the three mega digimon had been at peace with the South for centuries, even during the conquest of the Dark Masters, and keeping that peace and possibly creating an alliance was very important. If such wise digimon trusted the South then it was possible that others would follow.

Having peace with all lands would be the greatest development for Matt, but despite the importance of this upcoming meeting the young Lord could not keep his thoughts from straying. As hard as he tried to keep his mind focused on what was ahead he could not stop himself from looking back to the event from the night before.

He could feel the eyes of his friend and his brother searching him, questing him, as they had done the night before, and the betrayed looks in those eyes were like the coldest of deaths. He couldn't blame them for their anger, and he was certain the anger would not last forever, however the resentment and distrust could forever create a barrier between him and his friends.

'I don't blame them for being angry, how could I? As their teammate, as their friend, I should have came to them with the truth from the very beginning. I would have expected nothing less from one of them.'

A deep sigh of exhaustion escaped moist lips and a lean body fell back upon one of the large pillars placed in the throne room. Matt's head fell forward, allowing his glistening blonde locks to surround his face and brush gently across his checks. For a moment he stared at his clothing, the whole ensemble was alien to him, and he couldn't help but chuckle as the thought that he finally looked like a rock star crossed his mind. Really the clothes weren't too extravagant, but it was much more then what he was use to. The base of his outfit was completely black with an un-tucked long sleeve oxford shirt, and a simple pare of cotton slacks, hardly anything breath taking, but the coat he wore threw the outfit into an entirely different category. The coat acted as a short of cape for him, it was loosely fitted and it reached down to the floor. The style was definitely sixteen hundreds to seventeen hundreds European, and the deep red patterns made the coat stand out among normal garments.

His eyes shifted down, locking on his bare feet for a moment, it was true that his outfit was eccentric but their was also a laid back quality to the garments. Untucked shirt, loosely fitting clothes, and bare feet, a sign that even though he had adapted some of the lustrous styles of the South, he had still managed to keep a bit of his calm steady appearance with him.

'Tai would brake out laughing if he saw me now.'

The thought put a bittersweet smirk on the blonde's face as he finally gave into his exhaustion and slide to the throne room's floor. For a moment he sat silently staring at the polished onyx floor. The black stone reflected a bit of the sun's rays and the teen gratefully accepted the warmth and the light.

Then his head pulled back, and he found himself scanning over the lavish throne room for umpteenth time. There was, of course, the cool smooth onyx, which made up the floor. Then lining the room where great pillars, which reached forty feet high until they met the rim of the ceiling. The blonde's pale hand gently caressed the pillar he leaned upon; the blood red Hematite with bands of Jasper was absolutely beautiful, and added to the lush colors of the grand room. The two great doors to the room stood thirty-five feet high, allowing easy access for any sized digimon. The great hand carved mahogany doors were polished and beautiful. Of course the doors were so large that Matt never bothered to use them, instead he would take the secret passages which only he and his generals knew about.

The ceiling was domed shape and consisted of deep blue glass mixed with clear glass. The deep blue was placed on the clear in the shape of raindrops. But that wasn't the quality which made the glass so amazing, the thing that was so intriguing about this glass was the fact that from the out side it looked like jagged gray mountain peaks; while from the inside it looked as clear as air and only allowed enough light to pass through to illuminate the throne room.

After a moment the teen's eyes ran from the unusual glass ceiling to the mural painted on the wall, opposite of where he sat. The painting covered the entire wall and showed in beautiful color the history of the South. It started with Zhaqioumon's flames destroying the savage lands, and ended with Matt and his generals on Trica's peaks. Matt was amazed that the artist saw it fit to include the battle between the original eight Digidestined and the Dark Masters, but the longer he stayed here the more he realized that any resentment remaining from that battle had faded away the moment he took his place as Lord.

"It turned out rather lovely didn't it." a soft voice stated, her tone enchanting.

"Yes it did." Came the satisfied reply. "Perhaps too lovely."

"So you are not pleased with the hall?"

The saddened reply brought Matt to his feet. Once the blonde was standing he walked deeper into the large room, leaving the opened balcony behind.

"It's not the hall Ladydevimon, it's the circumstances."

Ladydevimon fluttered from her place on the balcony ledge to the onyx floor, and then she lightly stepped towards the blonde, stopping a few feet behind him.

Matt knew that the fallen angel was waiting for some sort of explanation for his statement.

"I don't like them feeling obligated to give me a palace." He explained with his head lowered.

"But they are obligated to do this my Lord. As our leader you have an obligation to us, to watch over us, and to keep sacred our traditions and laws. You as our Lord hold the heavy burden of this bond, so let us at least show our gratitude. We don't do as you ask because we feel it is our duty, we do it out of love for you."

Matt turned around sharply; his crystal eyes searched the scarlet orbs before him, looking for the meaning behind her words. "Ladydevimon how can you say so certainly that my people have love for me when I have done nothing to earn it?" he questioned rationally.

The dark maiden's blood red lips twisted up in an understanding smile.

"Matt did you ever read fairy tales as a child?"

"What?" the blonde asked obviously both confused and amused by the question.

"In fairly tales after the noble king would pass away or die honorably in battle, the subjects of the kingdom would morn as though they had lost their own father. But then the prince, young and inexperience, would take his place, and the people loved him just like his father before him, not because of what he has done, but because of who he is."

"And who is he, that he should receive such unquestioned faith?"

"He is the one chosen by the leader before him. Piedmon had faith in you, even in his wild thoughts he still managed to find a light to dwell on, you." Ladydevimon paused for a moment. "A time will come when your abilities will be tested, and in that time you will prove not only to the world but to yourself that you are meant for something great."

Matt smiled; Ladydevimon's words brought some security to his troubled mind, allowing him to push aside some of his fears and doubts. "But what if there comes a time when I must face an enemy who is too great to be conquered?"

"Our only true enemy is hate, and when the time comes that you must fight such an opponent remember that the power to fight hatred lies in compassion for all. Never loose the humility you have now, and never place yourself higher then another, just aspire to go the highest you can."

Matt smiled, "Thank you Ladydevimon, you are a true friend." Cerulean eyes shone with gratitude as the young Lord thanked the maiden of darkness.

A light blush appeared on Ladydevimon's pale skin, the crimson then began to fade as the demon shook her head and tried to hide her embarrassment. "Well don't get all mushy with me, you know you humans get too emotional for my taste." She expressed mockingly.

Matt chuckled lightly, all of his cares vanishing as he and his general laughed together.

The feeling of powerful magic turned the two's attention to the throne room's great doors.

The solid wooden doors began to move like ripples on once still water. The ripples branched out from the center where the two doors meet, and then a figure emerged from the rippling wood.

"Forgive me for interrupting my Lord." Sorcermon spoke benevolently with a bow.

"You're not interrupting anything Sorcermon, in fact we're glad you could join us." The blonde exclaimed with a smile.

Sorcermon smiled behind his cape as he stood straight up. "I have come to give you an update on our status." The small wizard digimon explained as he walked to where Ladydevimon and Matt stood. "WereGarurumon has finished his address to the inhabitants of the northern shores and will be returning to Forbidden Valley sometime this afternoon. Three of the four Citadels have been restored, and the cities under the mountain range are beginning to take form."

"Excellent." Matt replied with pride.

"Yes," Sorcermon agreed before he continued. "Also the leaders of the Three Islands have just arrived on the western platform."

Silence clouded the throne room, and for a moment Matt found his mind wander to all the worries that had plagued him earlier. This meeting was very important, and if he failed then that would add another enemy to the Nightmare Soldier's list. 'Why does it seem like everyone is against us?'

"My Lord? Matt, are you all right?" Sorcermon questioned as he noticed his ruler zone out.

Matt blinked, allowing his crystal eyes to refocus then he turned his attention back to the champion digimon. The blonde decided not to address the wizard's earlier question, instead he fixed his thoughts on the more important task.

"Show the three megas to the throne room." he ordered simply as he turned away from his two generals and paced back to the opening of the Western Wall.

Sorcermon nodded despite the fact that Matt could no longer see him then teleported back to the western platform.

"You'll do fine, Matt. We're all behind you." Ladydevimon chimed.

The throne room grew silent as Matt found his way back to the pillar he had leaned upon earlier.

"'What though that light, thro' storm and night,

So trembled from afar-

What could there be more purely bright

In Truths' day-star?'"

The Ladydevimon cocked a quivering eyebrow as the blonde sang the stanza to a made up melody.

Matt noticed the demon's confusion, which only put a smirk on his face. "Oh come on, I would think that you of all people would be an Edgar Allen Poe fan." He laughed with more mirth then usual.

"I prefer 'Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness-'"

Matt chuckled as the fallen angel offered her quote. "Is that your humble way of telling me to shut up?" he questioned with a smile.

Ladydevimon smirked then shrugged her shoulders gracefully. "It's all what you get out of it."

Matt smiled at the answer and was about to response with a sarcastic jest when the sound, of the great throne room doors slowly opening, pulled his attention to the large entrance.

The doors were actually very quiet when being opened; the hinges were new so the wooden barriers swung open freely.

Matt returned to the center of the throne room where Ladydevimon still stood. His steps were impossible to distinguish and his mood had changed from that of comical to a stern nobility, which suggested seriousness with an undeniable grace.

Matt could feel his nerves tingle with anticipation, as he felt dizzy for a moment with nervousness, however a comforting look from Ladydevimon brought him back to reality and he gained control of his thoughts once more.

Sorcermon was the first to enter. The Political Advisor stood tall with pride, a slight blush of excitement brightened his generally pale face, as he lead the three great megas through the large door and into the throne room.

The champion digimon had never been so excited. He, being both wise in political philosophy and well educated in the generally structures of government in the Digital World, knew just how important and significant this meeting was. It was his Lord's first negotiation, which would hopefully lead to a new order for the entire Digital World. The wizard digimon had spent hours, along with Ladydevimon, preparing Matt for these talks, and he had full faith that the young Lord would do wonderfully.

Matt's face remained emotionless as he tried not to gawk at the majesty of the three megas before him.

Sorcermon bowed once he reached a closer distance to Matt then stood, preparing to introduce the megas.

"My Lord may I introduce Pharaohmon, Pharaoh of the desert island of Yermar."

Pharaohmon was a tall and lean digimon with protruding muscles. His entire body was encased in gold, with a white cloth over his broad shoulder and a white cloth around his waist. This mega was an unknown type digimon, possessing no family or attribute. His attacks are extremely powerful and effective, and he is known for his iron fist in ruling and his desire for solitude.

"And Anubismon, Guardian of the tomb island of Inquiet Sepulcral, resting place for both the noble and virtuous."

This wizard digimon was a vaccine type. His body was also tall and lean, however it did not have the fine muscles that Pharaohmon possessed, showing that this digimon relied more on his magic than his physical strength. His body was cover in short grayish fur with steel blue tents, his arms were long and reached down to his knees and his head resembled a dog or wolf, only with more human characteristics. His garments were also Egyptian, with flowing white cloths and gold straps around his wrist and upper arms. And his two great golden wings made the wizard seemed as though he'd be out of place on an island reserved for the dead.

"And of course, from the island of Iris the Lady Ophanimon."

Ophanimon was by far the most breath taking of the three digimon. She too stood tall and lean, but the grace in her very presence immediately placed her apart from the others. She was clothed in cerulean armor, shaped in many awkward forms, but the armor only added to the creature presence. Her six golden wings glowed in a rich golden light, and her two white wings showed the angel's heritage as Angewomon. This angel warrior bore a shield on her left arm with the symbol of glory and a javelin in her right.

"Leaders of the Three Islands may I present my Lord, Yamato Ishida."

~*~*~

"Okay somebody please say something!" Yolie groaned in frustration, her voice managing to echo through the vacant school halls.

"Nice weather we've been having." Davis replied flatly, causing everyone in the room to look in his direction. After a few seconds of receiving disapproving frowns, the red head jumped to his own defense. "At least I'm talking."

"Yup, you're talking all right." Cody replied, as he laid his head on the desk in front of him.

"You know, Davis is right, we have had nice weather lately." Biyomon expressed, while stretching her pink wings.

DemiVeemon began bouncing happily on the window seal. "Yeah, the sun is shining and the air is warm!" the little in-training digimon chirped, still bouncing by the large open window.

'No matter how bad things get, the digimon always remain optimistic, I wish I had that kind of faith.' Kari thought sadly, as she stroked Gatomon's back.

"And the sky is blue, and the clouds look like big white, puffy marshmallows, and…" Upamon went on, his high-pitched voice squeaking, as he joined DemiVeemon on the window seal.

"Yeah, and the birds are chirping" DemiVeemon was suddenly cut off when Joe entered the room.

"Sorry I'm late guys." The eldest of the Digidestined bowed then apologized.

"It's okay Joe, we were just discussing the weather." Davis reassured the last of the Digidestined to arrive.

Joe nodded to Davis, then took a seat next to Izzy, who had been typing on the school's computer during the entire weather report.

"Was anyone able to get a hold of Mimi?" Ken asked, once everyone had settled down, and the digimon were back in the partners' laps.

"I talked to her, she was really upset." Sora stated, as she straightened up, pushing the rolling stool she was sitting on, back a bit. "She said, she was going to try to convince her parents to let her come back, but so far it's been a no go." 

"Maybe its better that she stay in New York. Odiaba has been the only place attacked, and if something happens to all of us, then it will be good to know that she could still unit the Digidestined from around the world to fight… whatever it is we're fighting." Ken stated evenly.

"You know what it is we're fighting Ken." Sora stated bitterly. "We're fighting one of your own. Our friend betrayed us."

Immediately different reaction began to fly in response to Sora's words. 

"Matt hasn't betrayed us!" Davis exclaimed in defense of his predecessor. 

"Davis, Matt is not only on the other side, but he's leading the other side. He's the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, the race of digimon that started all the wars in the Digital World." Cody replied back logically.

"There's no proof that Matt has turned against us." Kari stated back gently.

"No proof!" Yolie cried, siding with her predecessor and close friend. "Just look outside. Look at all the destroyed homes and separated families! _That_ is all the prove I need."

"It's true that the last attack on the city was the worst one we've seen, but to be far, Matt wasn't commanding those digimon." Izzy replied, deciding that throwing out opinions and blame wasn't going to resolve the matter. The only way to figure out a problem was to stick with the facts.

"How do you know he wasn't controlling them? It could have just been a cover up. Another lie like the others." Sora shot back, as she pushed some of her auburn hair out of her eyes.

"Not likely." Izzy replied his voice vacant of emotion. "The majority of the Digimon that attacked were not Nightmare Soldiers. So the possibility of Matt commanding them, is pretty slim." 

"But you have no proof that he wasn't." Yolie replied equally as smug.

"True," The red head began, but was cut off before he could finish by his friend.

"So we really have no proof of anything, only a bunch of theories." Sora interrupted Izzy, brining an end to the argument.

Soon the, almost over powering, sound of the clock ticking, echoed through the room. The white washed walls, seemed to move in closer and closer to the center of the room, and the computer monitors began to grow in size, looking like ominous windows to a forbidden land.

The group began to feel uncomfortable in the silence, and the tension began to grow thick, like an impenetrable blanket of fog, obscuring the path to reason and logical answers to their problems.

Just as it seemed that the silence would last forever, the sound of soft humming began to mingle with the ticking of the clock on the wall, until at last the gentle humming drowned both the ticking and the tension out.

The Digidestined and digimon's heads snapped in the direction of the sound, and all of them stared at the young blonde boy, with his hands gripping his white hat tightly in his lap, while humming the tune to one of his brother's songs.

Once all of the Chosen Children had relaxed, the blonde boy decided to speak for the first time since he had arrived at the school. "I can't believe that Matt would leave me. And I refuse to believe that he would ever purposely hurt us. You doubted him, and even turned on him, so quickly, but I hope… no, I know that Matt will come back, and when he does, he will give us the answers we want. But, until he does come back, I'm going to get ready, because Deamon is still out there. And Matt is going to need my help to bet that demon." TK stood up, as a light began to shine in his eyes. "Matt's always been there for me, now I'm going to be there for him."

Tai jumped out of his seat once the blonde pre-teen had completed his speech. "TK's right, we can't fall apart. The moment we loose faith in one another, is the moment we loose the battle against evil. We have to stop letting fear and doubt control us, and believe without a shadow of a doubt that what we fight for is right. Only together will we win."

After the leader had finished, the other Digidestined stood up as well.

"You're right Tai, we have to stay together, and we have to stay strong." Davis agreed with a big grin.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and TK smiled, knowing that his brother would return.

"All right then!" Tai exclaimed in excitement. "Let's get started, Izzy hunt down Genia."

"I'm on it Tai." The young genius affirmed, as he began to type away at his computer.

"Okay, Yolie, Davis, and Kari. Run to the convenient store; and get us, thirty bags of various potato chips, two packages of chocolate chip cookies, two packages of peanut butter cookies, six bags of marshmallows, sixteen candy bars, four cartons of vanilla ice cream, two jars of peanut better, three cans of sardines, and a pack of mint gum. After all we need to keep our heads about this." 

For a moment the entire group stared at the brunette leader with completely baffled looks. 

Tai blushed as the attention fell on him. "Okay, okay, two packs of mint gum." The brunette corrected sheepishly.

After Tai's correction, the group went back to what they were doing, and Yolie, Davis, and Kari took off to the convenient store, to, quite literally, empty their shelves.

As the rest of the group waited for Izzy's results of Genia; TK and Tai began to talk.

"Okay, I think I understand every, but there's still one thing I don't get." The blonde stated, as his face squinted up in confusion.

"What's that?" Tai asked seriously.

"What do we need sardines for?"

Tai stared at the blonde boy for a moment, almost as if he were shocked that the pre-teen would even ask such a question.

"Hello, do you not remember last time when, Gatomon gave that long speech about us showing no respect for cats." The brunette reminded sternly.

"Oh, yeah, good thinking." TK complemented, as he stood from his seat on one of the computer desk, and joined Ken over on the other side of the room.

Tai watched TK speak to the indigo hair boy, and then he shifted his gaze to the large window behind him.

'Okay Matt, be safe, where every you are. Just be safe, and come back to us.'

~*~*~

"I am honored that such noble leaders would accept my request for conference." Matt stated as he gave a small bow in respect to his guest.

The three megas bowed also out of respect to custom, and as a show of manners to their host. However, both Matt and his generals knew that this meeting was going to require more then just courtesy.

Matt's suspicions were correct, as Pharaohmon step forward, with a disapproving frown on his face. "I will not lie to you, Lord Yamato, I was greatly troubled to learn that a human inherited the place of our fallen ally, Piedmon. And I am troubled even further, to find that you are a Digidestined. Does this not brake your creed with your fellow Digidestined, to side with the very race that you once fought so strongly against." The mega's voice boomed, his accusations surprising both Ladydevimon and Sorcermon.

Both generals had expected a less personal approach from the three renowned leaders, but Matt did not seem shaken at all by the pharaoh's words. Sorcermon looked over at his Lord, expecting to find the teen as surprised as he was, but instead, he saw a strong confidence burning in Matt's powerful stare.

"I have done nothing to betray my duties as a Digidestined, but even if I did, that would not be a concern of yours." Matt replied so calmly, that his voice almost seemed threatening. "I respect you, great leaders, as your reputation demands it, however, I am under no obligation to cater to your curiosity of matters, which do not concern you. So if you do not mind, I would prefer if we stick to the matters at hand."

Sorcermon's eyes widened in shock of his Lord's handling of Pharaohmon's words. The champion digimon had never dreamed that his Lord would be so confident under such pressure, but he was relieved that the teen chose not to answer the megas accusation, as virtually any answer would be used against the teen later.

"For a human, you are quite arrogant." The Egyptian mega gnawed out in frustration.

Yamato could see that the meeting was not going well, so he decided to shift gears, and bring everyone's focus to the reasons they were there.

"Leaders of the Three Islands, I have asked you here, because I wish to rebuild the alliance that our lands once held. A time of war is surely approaching, our people stand a greater chance of surviving this time, if we stand together." 

Sorcermon began to grow nervous as no response came to Matt's statement. He knew that all three of the megas were going over every word his Lord spoke, trying to find any thought that could be used against him, and of course there were many. 'Any thought, no matter how straight forward and honest, can be used against you. Our own words are often the greatest weapons our enemies have against us.' As these fears ran through the Political Advisor's mind, similar concerns were plaguing Yamato.

'I knew they'd use the fact that I am human against me, but I had hoped that, in the end, they would see past that… Piedmon did.'

"Tell me something Yamato, why are you so concerned with the wars in this world, when you always have your own world to flee to? The Digidestined are not called upon when civil wars arise, so why would you concern yourself with them, when you could remain home, safe, with your friends and family." Anubismon spoke this time; his voice was mystical and almost sounded as though the wind itself was speaking.

This time Matt decided to address the question, knowing that he could not avoid it forever. "I was selected and tested by both Piedmon and the Digi-Core, and I passed those test. I am the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, and I have accepted the responsibilities that come with that position."

Anubismon scowled in anger. "You are not the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers! You are simply a lost little boy, who was thrown into a place he doesn't belong." The wizard mega bellowed in anger, his magical voice no longer sounding like the soft breeze, but instead like a relentless hurricane. "Go home _child_! Go back to your video games and MTV, and leave this task for someone who actually cares about life outside of his suburban bubble!"

With this show of no faith and distrust the, three megas began to walk towards the great throne room doors, preparing to leave the _incompetent kid_ and his misguided followers behind forever.

Sorcermon watched as the entire negotiations fell apart, taking away his hope for peace with three of the South's long time allies. Just as the wizard was about loose all hope, something surprising happened. The throne room doors were suddenly ablaze with blue energy and then slammed shut, right in Pharaohmon's face.

The mega growled in anger, then spun around to see Matt, standing with his arms crossed and a cold glare frozen on his face.

"How dare you!" the large pharaoh shouted threateningly.

Matt's eyes narrowed on Pharaohmon, until they were like daggers.

Sorcermon looked on the scene, panic growing heavily in his gut. Both Anubismon and Pharaohmon, had made their way back to the center of the room, their teeth gnawed together, and their eyes narrowed on the human, which they towered above greatly.

"This is an insult! An outrage!" Anubismon cried, his voice roaring like the howling wind from a winter storm.

"An insult?" Yamato hissed, equally as cold, but not nearly as angered. "You, accuse me, of insulting you when it is you who have totally disregarded my hospitality. I humbly invited you here, in hope of rebuild an alliance, which has stood for ages, and alliance, which has benefited your lands more than ours. And how do you repay my loyalty and generosity? By completely disregarding my respect and judging me with extreme prejudice."

Anubismon huffed, half laughing at the teen, and half mocking his words. "So _boy_, what do you intend to do? Keep us here until we agree to an alliance?" the mystical digimon questioned with a snicker.

Sorcermon cringed as he felt the tension grow, he knew that at the point, an alliance was out of the question, but now he was wondering, what would transpire next. In all reverence to customs, Matt was right. Pharaohmon and Anubismon had completely disrespect him, and had completely ignored political process, by brining such personal issues into the negotiation. And these facts completely shocked the champion digimon, as the Leaders of the Three Islands had such high reputations. Now, instead of helping build peace, the small humanoid was preparing to defend his Lord, at any cost, should the megas try an attack.

"No, any chance for peace, seems to have faded. I do, however, intend to keep you here until you apologize." 

"What?!" Pharaohmon screeched in rage.

"My Lord is right." Sorcermon stated, taking a few steps forward, until he was closer to Yamato. "If you are displeased with the fact that our Lord, is human, then fine, you are entitled to your own opinion, however you **do not** show disrespect to our Lord. We will not allow it."

Ladydevimon nodded in agreement, showing, that she too, could not be swayed from her loyalty.

"So, the Nightmare Soldiers truly believe in you." Pharaohmon mused out loud, as though he were thinking of an object and not a living being. "Perhaps, you would not show so much faith in your _Lord,_ if you saw him for the weak creature that he truly is." 

Sorcermon and Ladydevimon immediately gritted their teeth and tightened their fist, the only thing holding them back from attacking the arrogant pharaoh, was the fact that they had not yet received the order to attack.

Yamato's eyes narrowed even more, his blood began to boil with anger, but his palms sweated, and his head spun. He was torn, torn between the fifteen-year-old boy, that just wanted to play his bass guitar, and the Lord, who wanted to rewrite the coarse of two worlds.

The struggle between the two consciences went on, for Matt it seemed to last for an eternity, but for those waiting, it was less then a second before the Lord won, and the teen's cool exterior froze over entirely.

"Is that a challenge?" he questioned darkly.

Pharaohmon smiled; pleased that he had gotten the response he wanted from the teen. "Here, now, in your court, before your people. I want them to see you, for what you really are." The mega replied coolly.

"Agreed; here and now." Yamato replied equally as calm.

__

My Lord, you know nothing of Pharaohmon's strength.

I know Sorcermon, but this is something that has to be done.

Yes I know. And I also know that you will make us proud.

'Oh great add more pressure to me.' Yamato thought once his conversation with Sorcermon had come to an end.

"Let's begin." The teen announced, as he dropped his pose and waited for his opponent's response.

"Yes, however, there is one more catch to this battle that you should know about." The mega stated slyly.

That caused Matt to tense up. 'Great, and whatever it is, I have to go along with it, or it will be just as bad as not accepting the challenge at all.'

"We will battle using these." As Pharaohmon spoke, Anubismon held out his hands. 

A small sphere of dust spun in the wizard's hands, like a palm size dust storm, and then, the sand began to pull together, until it for a large rectangle. The rectangle began to darken until, at last, it was the color of dark wood. That was when Matt realized that the sand, had turned into a wooden box.

Anubismon smiled just as slyly as Pharaohmon had, then stepped forward, opening the box and revealing what was inside. 

Matt's crystal eyes narrowed, until they were focused on the contents of the box. To his surprise, it was two Sai sets, one perfect for Pharaohmon's large hands and another set smaller. Small enough for a human.

"I take it you planned on this." The teen expressed flatly.

"None wish to see a human with such power. I have taken it upon myself, to rid the world of you." The mega replied so causally that it was almost sickening.

Matt nodded, taking in what his opponent had said. 'So it's a fight to the death, I guess I should have expected that. Now I'm really glad that I gave that letter to Sorcermon to give to TK and the others, should anything happen to me.'

"It will be a battle to the death. We will use the weapons only, which means no magic, no powers, and no special attacks." The mega explained further.

Now Matt was getting nervous, up until this point, he had relied mostly on his powers, now he was going up against an experienced and powerful mega digimon, in a physical brawl to the death.

Matt again nodded in agreement, as he took the sai set handed to him by Anubismon.

Ladydevimon and Sorcermon were now by the wall, both tense with fear. Anubismon leaned against the mural relaxing, as though he was preparing to watch a play. Ophanimon had moved to a place next to Anubismon, she still had yet to speak, but her eyes, hidden behind a great mask, never once left Yamato's form.

Pharaohmon now had his sai set in his hands, and was ready for battle. "Ready." It was more of a statement then a question.

Matt gulped and pushed down his fear, as he too, moved into a ready position, opposite of the towering mega. 'Well it's a good day to die.' He thought sarcastically to himself, as he prepared for the most difficult battle he had yet to face.

"Begin!" Anubismon shouted.

And with that, the two charged at one another, and the battle of Pharaoh verses Lord began.

Matt bit down hard, as he brought he right arm up, reading it to attack, and pushed his left arm out in front, to serve as a defense. His bare feet barely touched the ground when he ran, and in the blink of an eye, he and Pharaohmon met in the center of the room.

The large mega was the first to attack, and Matt barely had enough time to block the blow. The clang of metal upon metal echoed through the throne room, and sparks of white fire splattered of the two sai sets, from the friction of the blow.

Pharaohmon smiled ruthlessly at his, _puny_ human, opponent, then jerked his weapons out of the lock, causing Matt to stumble back a bit.

Matt managed to regain his balance, but only in time to see Pharaohmon, quickly swing his right arm around, with the edge of the sai ready to slice through his throat. Quickly, the young Lord ducked, then spun towards the approaching weapon. 

His maneuver allowed him to miss the intent of the strike, however, he did not get away entirely untouched. Pharaohmon seemed to have sensed the teen's plan, and just as Matt had spun beneath the mega's large muscular arm, Pharaohmon brought his other sai up and swung.

At first Matt didn't feel the blow, but after he was at a safe distance from his opponent, his mind was able to go over what had just happened. Soon the salt from his sweat began to make him aware of his new wound, as the drops began to mix with his blood, stinging his split flesh.

Pharaohmon smirked arrogantly, pleased with his first bit of fun. 

Matt rotated his sai, until the blade was laid upon his wrist, and the hilt was being held by his thumb and last two fingers. The mega's smirk broadened, when Matt brought his hand up and gently touched his right check with his two free fingers.

Crystal eyes narrowed at the crimson on two pale fingertips. Pharaohmon had managed to breech Matt's defenses, and in payment of the young Lord's carelessness, he now had a thin scrape running along his right check bone.

"If you want to give up, and simply surrender your rights to the South, then I will fully understand." The Egyptian digimon taunted, his deep voice gaining a sugar sweet tone to it, trying to make his offer for surrender seem more appealing.

The room was silent; Matt offered no reply to the mega's mocking, instead his cerulean eyes simply stayed glued on the, now dried and sticky, substance on his fingers. 

Pharaohmon's smirk was slowly turning into an annoyed frown. This _useless kid_ was really beginning to irritate the great mega. 

"Well what do you say child!" the pharaoh boomed, demanding some sort of response. "Has the taste of your own blood brought some sense to your mind? Or do I need to remove a limb, before you finally understand that you can not win."

Heavy silence returned to the room, and the tension began to build. Pharaohmon's eyes sharpened on the teen before him, waiting for a reply to his threatening words. When no response came, the large Pharaoh lost it. "Answer me, fool!" he shouted in rage.

"Silence is a precious thing. It can soothe head aches and stimulate thoughts and ideas. Something as precious as that should never be broken with such empty words."

"What?" this time Pharaohmon's voice had regained some of the calm it held earlier.

"This battle has barely begun, and already, you have deemed yourself the winner. Well I'm not dead yet. So, I wouldn't be gloating over victory, until you have taken my last breath away, that is, if you can." Matt's right hand went up and the sai shifted back to a battle ready place in his palm.

Pharaohmon smiled once more, pleased that he would truly, get the satisfaction of piercing this arrogant brat's heart. 

No more words were exchanged, and Matt charged the waiting mega, and the clang of weapon upon weapon rang through the room again.

Pharaohmon's large leg went around in a low kick, as he blocked one of Matt attacks from the left. Matt sensed the kick coming, and leaped into the air, doing a graceful back flip, avoiding the devastating effect, that such a powerful blow could cause. 

The mega charged at the teen before he landed, but reached him too late. Matt landed then spun, swinging his sai set like a buzz saw. The attack made it past the mega's defense, and the two sai clanged upon the pharaoh's golden armor, causing him to grunt and pull back a bit.

The battle seemed to have no pause, Pharaohmon's strength, allowed him to deliver one powerful attack after another, and Matt's speed and agility, allowed him to dodge each and every one.

Pharaohmon ran towards Matt, his heavy steps pounding upon the onyx floor, backing the teen up into the very pillar, that he had rested upon an hour ago. The great mega brought his long arm up, and swung so hard, that the air screamed as he split it.

Matt saw the powerful blow coming, and in one hopeful move, ran to the pillar and quickly ran up the side of the cylinder. Then, pushed himself off, doing a, somewhat, shaky but still successful, aerial, over the towering mega's lowered head. 

Pharaohmon had not expected the teen's narrow escape, and his attack hit the pillar, cutting into the solid stone, causing pieces of blood red rock to fly everywhere.

Matt landed a few feet behind Pharaohmon. He stumbled back a couple of steps, before he regained his balance, then he charged at the mega, whose back was turned. He swung the sai in his right hand, and hit the digimon on the side, in the same place as before.

Pharaohmon grunted in aggravation, then swung around, quickly pounding Matt on his right shoulder with the hilt of his sai.

Matt moved back a few steps from the now enraged mega.

The teen panted with exhaustion, this fight had lasted for thirty minutes, and neither of the opponents had made an effective move. Now the teen was beginning to tire, and his legs were beginning to shake, as his muscles were burning more oxygen then he took in.

'I can't keep this up much longer, if I don't think of something, Pharaohmon's going to slaughter me.'

Before Matt could run another idea through his head, Pharaohmon turned around and charged again.

Matt brought his sai set up, and blocked the attack, then pushed the pharaoh back, and swung his right arm. Pharaohmon blocked the attack with his left hand, then swung his right leg out. Matt blocked the kick with his left hand, then spun under his arms to get away from the mega. Pharaohmon pulled off his attack, then shifted the sai in his hand and stabbed down, trying to thrust into Matt's skull. 

Matt felt the attack coming before it hit, so he quickly dropped to the onyx floor, and crossed his weapons of his chest, protecting himself from Pharaohmon's attack. 

Pharaohmon's sai slipped through Matt's, fork like, weapons, but the main blade was still stopped from reaching blonde's body. Pharaohmon pushed down, hoping that his strength would send the spikes right through the teen's rib cage, but Matt fought back. Summoning all of his strength, the blonde managed to throw Pharaohmon off of him, and in one quick leap, flew off the floor and landed back on his feet, with his weapons ready to receive, or deliver an attack.

Pharaohmon had skid on his knees after Matt threw him off, but he was back on his feet and ready for his opponent.

They meet once more, both wielding their weapons with amazing accuracy. Matt no longer tried to avoid the attacks by simply getting away from the mega, but instead he meet each blow with his weapons.

The attacks began to merge together, until there was no telling when one ring of clanging metal began, and another ended. Sparks flew from the friction of the attacks, and swings, kicks, and flips, made up a deadly dance.

Matt gained control over his breathing, and was functioning a lot better, but his muscles still burned, and he grew more tired with each move.

Pharaohmon thrust at Matt's neck with both of his hands, and the blonde was forced to raise his weapons so that they were pointing outward, in order to prevent the mega's weapons from impaling him in the throat. The block worked, however, it caused Matt to have a poor grip on his weapons. Pharaohmon saw the vulnerability, and quickly took advantage, the great mega jerked his arms up, pushing Matt back, and throwing the teen's weapons out of his hands.

Matt stumbled back, moving a clear distance away from the pharaoh. A flood of fear and shock, drowned out the fighting spark in the teen's crystal eyes. The blue pools grew darker, as the blonde looked down at his hands, erasing his mind of any doubt, that his weapons hadn't been sent flying behind Pharaohmon, and were not now completely out of his reach.

"It seems you have run out of defenses." The Egyptian king sneered, "You fought a better battle then I could imagine, but now it is over. Your journey has come to an end."

Sorcermon stared at the scene before him in complete disbelief. He knew that defeating Pharaohmon would be a difficult task, but he had been certain that Matt could do it. Now all of this certainty had faded, Matt was defenseless, and his edge for attacks, had been ripped from his very hands. His people, the Nightmare Soldiers, would dwindle into nothing, once more. They'd fade out forever, like a flame smothered out by sand, and there was nothing he, or any other being, could do.

"And now you fall!" Pharaohmon mocked, as he readied his weapons and charged. The mega's speed was incredible; it looked like a blaze of gold, flying straight for the defenseless teen, in the center of the throne room. 

Pharaohmon's smile widened, and he prepared to bring the attack down upon Matt. He twisted the golden instrument and brought it down, aiming for Matt's skull, just as he had done before. 

Matt didn't look up, the attack came closer, and the sai was only a millimeter away from impaling him in the head. The onlookers thought it was over, but just before the blade made contact with the blonde's scalp, Matt lifted his arms and caught Pharaohmon's wrist. The blow was stopped, and Matt had an iron grip locked around the great mega's wrist.

Pharaohmon tried to brake free from the teen's hold, but Matt's grip only tightened. The teen didn't waste anytime gloating over the fact that he was currently overpowering the mega, instead, he ducked a little, then spun out, leaving no chance that Pharaohmon could attack with his left arm. After Matt was in the clear; he twisted his wrist so quickly that he threw Pharaohmon off the ground, causing his, large, tree stump like, feet to fly over his head. 

As Pharaohmon was being flipped, Matt took this opportunity to wrench the sai out of the mega's hand. Once Matt had a grip on the weapon, he yanked the mega down, causing the force of his fall to be much greater, then it would have been.

Pharaohmon hit the ground with a startling impact, the sound of his golden armor cracking on thick onyx floor, boomed into the outside. Dust and pieces of black stone, flew over the room, and scattered upon the floor, and deep cracks now ran through the floor, from where the pharaoh had landed, to the throne room doors and walls.

Pharaohmon was dazed by Matt's counter attack and speed, speed which even Sorcermon's eyes could not follow, and in this daze, he left one second open, enough time for Matt to gain full control over the battle. 

Quickly the teen moved until he had pinned down the mega. His right hand pinned down Pharaohmon's left arm, which still held its weapon, with the same strength that he had locked upon the pharaoh seconds ago. He allowed Pharaohmon's right arm to lie limply on the ground, since his right wrist was broken from the teen's grip, and his right shoulder had been dislocated by the violent flip. With both arms unable to attack, and his right leg impaled with a large piece of onyx, Pharaohmon was completely at the mercy of Yamato.

Matt held the sai by his left ear, ready to slam it into the mega's throat, should he even breathe wrong. His eyes were like mirrors, showing no emotion of their own, only reflecting the image of the beaten pharaoh, allowing the mega to se,e that he looked as pathetic as he must have felt.

"Do it, show the world who the new Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers is." The pharaoh panted out.

Matt stared down at the mega beneath him, his eyes still vacant of emotion. "So you admit you're defeated." His voice was soft, there was no hint of mockery or disrespect in his tone, only a simple hint of uncertainty.

Pharaohmon's eyes narrowed upon Matt's face. His teeth gritted, and his face tensed up, in the aggravation of knowing that he lost. "Yes." He hissed out, trying to maintain some of his dignity.

Matt looked at the pharaoh doubtfully for a moment, but soon nodded, as though he had ended an argument within his mind. "Very well." He stated calmly, as he pushed his left arm forward, the sai heading straight for Pharaohmon's throat.

The mega's eyes shut tight, as he waited for the sound of blade piercing armor, but to his amazement, all he heard was the soft cling of metal upon rock, and then the pressure of the teen upon his limbs and chest was gone.

Pharaohmon opened his eyes, to see Matt standing some feet away from him, his face set like ice, and his eyes still reflecting the scene like clear mirrors. The large sai had been set beside Pharaohmon's head, and now seemed to be completely forgotten by, the pharaoh's victorious opponent.

Anubismon waited cautiously on the sidelines, still in shock by Pharaohmon's defeat. Yamato had proven himself, had done what no one, outside of the South, thought he could do. 

Pharaohmon suppressed a groan, as he shift on the cracked floor, trying to elevate himself enough to look at the teen across from him. 

Anubismon saw the battered body, saw the golden blood, creeping through pierced armor, and was immediately at his comrade's side. The wizard digimon waved his long hand thoughtfully, and the debris around Pharaohmon turned to sand, and blew away, allowing the pharaoh more freedom to move.

Matt watched, with the same passive stare, as the Egyptian god of the dead lifted, the pharaoh of the living, to his feet, supporting him until he stood sturdy on the bloodied battleground.

Pharaohmon stared at Matt, intensity and judgment, narrowing upon a victorious Lord. The pharaoh had many questions, many accusations he wished to voice, but in his broken state, against this miraculous guardian, he could only breath one word. "Why?"

Matt dropped his pose, no longer seeing the need for such a stressful stare, and took two long strides towards the two megas. "You have admitted your defeat. There are whiteness to argue against any who say otherwise, so I see no reason to continue." He said crisply, then turned around heading for his temporary throne, standing upon a small platform with three steps.

"It was a fight to the death!" Pharaohmon boomed, obviously angered by Matt loss of interest in him and the events, which just occurred. "I would have killed you." 

"And that is the difference between us." The blonde cried back in irritation to Pharaohmon's persistence. After a moment of cold stares, his angered calmed, and he leaned comfortably back in his throne, knowing that this display of arrogance, would fuel all rumors that the blonde had inherited some of Piedmon's hauteur. 

"There is already so much needless destruction in this world. And sometimes we're too quick to pull a trigger, or to condemn another to die, especially when we've all probably done something worth dying for. You fought for what you believed, and I fought for what I believed. Were either of us were wrong? I don't think we could be, because everything is gray. There was no evil or good, only opinion and belief." 

Matt took a deep breath, then leaned back in his throne; waiting for a moment then, released the air in his lungs. His eyes stared straightforward, not seeing anything, and yet there were pictures in his mind of everything. The payment for this one small battle, a destroyed throne room, and an injured leader, so much destruction, and only one fight. He couldn't help, but imagine what nightmare would fall on his world, after Deamon's rampage was over.

"So you would curse me to live in the shadow of my defeat. This is not acceptable, you must kill me, I will not live with the reputation of being weak!" the mega cried in both anger and woe.

"Well now you have a lifetime, to prove that reputation wrong. Go home, nurse your wounds and tend to your people. It is selfish of you to want to die, when your hands hold the fates of so many. What would your people do, once you are gone? They would fall without you to lead them, and you would let that happen? You would forsake them just for your reputation? I can not believe that such a wise leader would do such a thing." Yamato spoke calmly; adding only a little angered edged to his tone, in order to get his point across.

The room fell silent, Pharaohmon still leaned weakly on Anubismon, while Anubismon shifted his sight around the room, his muscles tense and on guard. Ladydevimon, along with Sorcermon, had moved closer to the stand, where Matt's throne was placed, and the Lady Ophanimon remained where she was, hidden in the shadows, with her eyes, ever watching, the young Lord.

Pharaohmon glared at the teen across from him, his eyes baring into blue orbs, searching a powerful soul for any sign of greed or self-interest, but there was none. The mega could find no element within the blonde's heart, that could even evolve, into power hungry. The Digidestined truly believed in what he fought for, truly believed in the South, and had a sincere love for its people.

"Now I know, there is no doubt in my mind." The Egyptian mega stated calmly, every edge of brutality once present in his deep voice had faded, and he sounded more like a loving father, praising his child after a good deed. "Lord Yamato, forgive my distrust, but I had to be certain." Pharaohmon stated, as he pulled away from Anubismon, and stood straight and tall.

"Yes, I see it also, we were wrong to question Piedmon's judgment. Clearly our fallen friend has carried his wisdom with him beyond the grave. And this young Lord, is a testament to his wise judgment." Anubismon agreed calmly, his voice no longer sounding mischievous, but instead ringing with wisdom, wisdom earned through many years of sorrow.

Matt was completely shocked by the sudden change in the megas' behavior. He shifted uncomfortably in his throne, finding the positive attention, somewhat, disturbing, then stood and walked slowly down the steps of the platform, his long coat flowing behind him, making him look majestic and royal.

"Now I am confused." He expressed almost exhaustedly, as if dealing with these megas had been like baby-sitting toddlers, their little games trying, both his energy and patients.

"Perhaps I can explain." 

Immediately all attention was turned to Ophanimon. Her soft voice blew from the shadows, where she had waited through the entire ordeal. She had watched the teen closely, had searched his heart, reading his desires, loves, and fears, and at last she had seen it all. She saw as deep, as she needed to, and was now ready to offer the finally judgment upon the waiting Digidestined.

The angel digimon slowly emerged from the shadows. She took each step slowly and gently. Her steps made no sound upon the black floor, and her long golden hair, flowed behind her like a trailing halo.

"This, Lord Yamato, was a test. A test of your strength, your character, and a test of where your heart truly lies." She explained strongly, like a teacher lecturing an eager class. "But not only did this encounter serve as a way for us to better know your worth, but it also served as a lesson to you. You must learn to recognize all of your strengths, and use them together, if you are to defeat the tyrant, which haunts your world. Only the true Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers can defeat Deamon."

"So this," Matt waved his hand, signaling to the ruins which was once his throne room, "Was all a test?" he question, partly in shock and party in offense.

"Yes." Ophanimon replied calmly, not being moved by the teen's display of frustration.

"And if I had failed your test?" the blonde questioned darkly. 

"Then you would be dead." Came the simply reply, from the still injured Pharaohmon.

Before more could be said Ophanimon moved to Pharaohmon's side, and gently place a hand on his shoulder. She then whispered in a tongue, which none other then the three megas, understood, a holy spell. At her beckoning, an aurora of light washed over her, the beautiful colors radiating off of her in warm ray of light. After a moment, the rainbow of colors ran up her body, into her arm, and then passed through her finger tips, and cover Pharaohmon's entire body. The colors began to darken, and then slowly they seeped into the mega, healing his wounds, leaving no trace of scares or broken armor.

Once Pharaohmon was healed, another light radiated from the archangel. Ophanimon continued to whisper, soft, enchanting words, and at her command, the light flooded the room. Ladydevimon and Sorcermon were forced to shield their eyes from the intensity of the light, however, the three megas and Matt, remained unfazed. The colors dashed upon the throne room, and Matt watched closely, as every crack on the floor and every broken pillar began to rebuild. 

Black and gray stone turned to puddles on the onyx floor. Blood red jasper truly looked like pools of blood. Puddles, of what was once solid rock, littered the throne room floor, and soon the puddles began to mix. Every stray drop of rock met with a larger pool. Once the scene was set, the onyx began to slide back to the cracks and holes in the floor. The pools filled up every piece of uneven ground then hardened. The pool of jasper seemed to come alive. The red drops began to crawl slowly up the pillars, looking like insects, as the puddles crept back to their original place and filled the cracks. Then, like the onyx, the jasper hardened, and returned to its state of solid rock.

Matt watched the scene, his face showing little interest, but his mind marveling at the grace and power of the Lady Ophanimon. His throne room was now completely repaired, and he was now in a far better mood to deal with his, _unusual _guest.

After Ophanimon had healed Pharaohmon she stepped away, then turned her attention to the young awaiting Lord.

"Do not be angry with us Lord Yamato, for you see our intentions were noble. When Piedmon was placed as Lord, he too was young and inexperienced, and he too faced a similar test. We are not governed by the Digi-Core, there for it is impossible for us to simply believe that it chose correctly, we had to make certain for ourselves." Anubismon explained proudly.

"But this race was created by the Digi-Core, how could you not believe that it would choose correctly?" Matt questioned in complete confusion.

"We simply needed to see for ourselves." Explained Ophanimon gently, though Yamato could tell that there was more behind her saddened tone then what was being told.

"But we now know that you are more then worthy for your place as Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." Added Pharaohmon, with a ruff smile. "We were originally called here to rebuild the once powerful alliance between our lands. Do you still wish to do this, or has the circumstances hindered your decision?"

Yamato thought about the mega's word for a moment. He was upset by the mega's games; they took up both valuable time and energy, and not just for him, but for his generals also. 'What they did dose make sense, I will have to face a lot of uncertainty until the world get used to the fact that I am both human and a Digidestined. And this will only bring me one step closer to permanently braking down that wall. And I do like the idea of knowing that I will have the Lady Ophanimon to turn to, should I ever need her help.'

"Very well, we will rebuild this once grand alliance, however, I do have one condition." The blonde stated, comfortably, now letting go of the tension that came with making a difficult decision.

"Oh? And what is that?" Pharaohmon questioned in amusement.

"Honesty." Replied Yamato calmly. "I will not deceive you to gain anything for my people, and you will not deceive me to do the same."

"A very understandable request. And so it shall be the first point in our new treaty." Anubismon announced, and the occupants of the room began the grueling task of brining two different worlds together.

"Lord Yamato," Ophanimon addressed Matt with a small smile.

"Yes my Lady?" the blonde responded in the deepest respect.

"After the treaty has been signed, I wish to speak with you alone, if I might."

"Of course Lady Ophanimon." Matt replied, a little nervous at the thought of being the soul attention of the celestial digimon. 

'There is something I need to speak with you about also.' And as this thought faded from the young Lord's mind he went to work with the others in the room.

~*~*~

The sky was ablaze with the colors of the setting sun. Stray rays of warm light, mingled with the coming darkness, the fiery pinks and oranges painting the western horizon, while shades of dusk conquered the east. It was a surreal time, a time when the day met the night, when darkness mingled with light. The moon hung low and bright, glowing with a soft yellow light, so unlike the pale silver moon which hangs high in the sky at midnight. 

The sun too was different, understanding that its time to rein was nearly over, and that the moon's time had barely begun. The sun understood that, if the moon must change its character for these few short minutes, then it too should change, finding compromise in the time of twilight. So the sun dimmed, and the bright golden light, that shines proudly during the day, became less intense, less amazing.

Yamato watched the sunset, watched the darkness creeping up from the east, and found himself lost, in the timeless moment. It was an amazing sight, and unjustifiably so. 

'It shouldn't only be twice a day, when the sun rises and when it sets, there should be more time for the world to simply be at peace. For they're to be a silent agreement, that it would be a crime, a sin even, to disturb a moment like this. A moment when night and day reaches a compromise, a time when darkness and light can exists peacefully together.'

"This place is truly lovely." An angelic voice spoke softly, as a feminine hand gently caressed the large white petals of a beautiful flower.

Normally Matt would have been frustrated, even disappointed, had anyone dared to disturb this silent, unearthly moment, but for some reason Ophanimon's voice, did not feel like a disturbance. Her soft mystical voice, seemed so perfect for such a time as this. Her words and tone, seemed more gentle, and comforting, then dawn's first light.

"Yes," Matt agreed softly, finding it odd that he too fit well in this moment, "At first I did not see the need for it, but now that I see how happy it has made you, I'm glad that Sorcermon talked me into having it put in." 

__

It was a large garden, filled with the most beautiful flowers, all of different, vibrant colors, and all native to the South. The place was an Eden, with perfectly laid stone paths, and a small stream flowing freely through, saturating the dark soil, so that the many plants would remain well watered. It was the perfect place, the only place, that the teen could think to take the lovely angel.

The two fell silent, a moment that would have seemed awkward, but both felt at complete ease in the recesses of their talk, finding them as pleasant and comforting as the actually conversation.

Matt slipped away, his crystal eyes clouded over a bit, until the many colors, painted upon the garden, faded, and all of his focus strayed to the only picture he truly felt was worth dwelling on, his friends. He found himself, for the umpteenth time, thinking about his fellow Digidestined, wondering what they were doing. Wondering if they really did hate him.

"My Lord is something wrong?" 

Ophanimon's clear voice, chased away the teen's image of his comrades, brining his attention back to the serene garden.

"Forgive me Ophanimon, I guess I zoned out a bit." He explained sheepishly.

"There is nothing to forgive, in fact, it is I who should be asking for your forgiveness. It is wrong of me to take, both you time and attention away from where they should be." She expressed kindly.

Matt chuckled a bit at the respect offered to him by the angel digimon. "Lady Ophanimon you could not take my attention away from where it should be, because not even _I_, know where it should be." The teen explained in irritation with himself.

Ophanimon's voluptuous pink lips curved in a sweet smile, as a feeling of pity washed over the angel. Even this powerful mega knew the strain that had been place upon the young Lord. The way his soul was being torn in two, one side holding complete loyalty to his fellow Digidestined, and the other holding complete devotion to his people, the Nightmare Soldiers.

"My Lord, why are you so distressed? Have you know faith in your own judgment?"

Matt looked at Ophanimon thoughtfully, not quite sure how to answer her question. "It's not that, it's just, how can I be certain? How can I know, without a doubt, that this isn't some sort of mistake, that I'm not some sort of mistake." The teen's voice was pleading, begging the mega to ease his doubts.

"This is a strange world we live in, and an even stranger time. Everything that I once felt certain of, has dissolved, leaving me, to question our fate. But there is one thing in this time of questioning that I have never doubted, and that is the power of hope. It is true, that the glory, which this world once possessed, has faded, and that virtue is diminishing, but I have hope, that the Digital World will, once again, be pure. Whether you will be part of this struggle of hope, is up to you." Ophanimon explained calmly. "The only one who can decide if you are a mistake or not is you."

Matt nodded, taking some comfort in the angel's words. They seemed to make him feel more in control, like he could handle whatever happens next.

"I just wish that Piedmon had not left me with so many enemies." The teen expressed, putting the blame for his problems upon his predecessor for the first time.

"You feel that Piedmon is the cause of all of this uncertainty?" Ophanimon questioned, a little shocked by the teen's words.

"He was the one who went power crazy. If he had not attacked the West, then maybe, none of this would have happened." The blonde stated, as he dropped his head in defeat.

"Maybe." The angel agreed calmly, "But tell me, Yamato, have you ever considered what drove Piedmon mad?"

At this question Matt's head snapped back up, and he looked at the mega in bewilderment. "Azulongmon destroyed a great deal of his army. I always thought that's what pushed him over." 

Ophanimon lowered her head, her gentle features taking on a look of sorrow. "No it was long before that, long before his conquest of the West." She explained sadly.

Matt watched the angel closely; he slowly began to feel guilty for upsetting her, though he wasn't certain how he had done it. Kindly he gestured to the large stone benches in the garden.

Ophanimon understood the silent question, and walked slowly to the benches and sat down.

Yamato waited until the lady was comfortable, then he too sat down, waiting patiently, until the angel was ready to speak.

"In many ways Piedmon was much like you. He had a great love, not only for his people, but also for the entire Digital World. He did everything he could to ensure the survival of the ancient ways, while also embrace new and better philosophies. All leaders of the Digital World had great respect for him. He ruled for centuries in peace, and it did not take long for myself and many other ancient megas to befriend him. However this time of tranquillity did not last forever." The angel began, her voice growing distant ,as she lost herself in the sorrowful memories plaguing her mind.

"I know much time has passed since then, but it seems like only a moment ago, that I found him there, pacing frantically in his throne room, like a caged animal. His eyes were burning with shock, confusion, denial, fear… he mumbled incoherently to himself, and it was some time before he noticed that I had arrived. Once his attention had fallen upon me, I wished it hadn't. I have never seen a sight so heartbreaking." 

"Tears wheeled in his eyes, but he pushed them back and confronted me with dignity. I question him about his behavior, but his response made little sense, and even now, I am not certain what he truly meant. _'What are we but prisoners to our destiny. Pawns in a game that we can not control. No matter what power we gain, there shall always be another greater, so what are we but the tools in the more powerful's will. We are shackled by what destiny has chosen us to do. And I can no longer fight it; my time is up. And everything will end.'_" Ophanimon finished quoting Piedmon's words, her head still lowered in remorse. "I never spoke with him again, for the next day he attacked the West."

Matt was silent for a moment, trying to see if he could find any reason behind the former Lord of the Nightmare Soldier's word, but no answer came. "And you never figured out what he meant by this?"

"No," Ophanimon replied sadly. "He would not see any of his former allies after that day. I believe he was ashamed to face us." She explained her theory thoughtfully.

Matt nodded, deciding not to question the angel's assumption, after all, she knew the fallen Lord far better then he did. "Piedmon was immensely powerful, powerful enough to seal away the four Digi-gods, so what could have possibly spooked him so much, that he snapped?" the teen mused out loud.

"A force stronger then the four Digi-Gods." Answered Ophanimon, she too, sounded as though she were working on the mystery.

"But I can't think of anything with enough power, or desire to do this. And I also can't believe that Piedmon would be intimidated so easily by threats." 

"So, you don't believe what he said was true? That we are not prisoners to our own destiny?" the mega question softly.

Matt thought for a moment, considering every answer to the question, then replied. "No, I don't." he stated with firm resolution. "I don't believe that destiny is a binding chain. I think that, what destiny does is lay certain paths before us, but in the end we are the ones that must choose which path to take, and which to ignore. And no matter what road we take, I believe that in the end, we decide where the road will end up." He explained thoughtfully. "It's like you said, the only one that can decided if you are a mistake is yourself."

Ophanimon smiled then nodded. "Then what do you suppose lead Piedmon to such an unstable state?"

"Intimidation." Matt stated strongly. "Something, something very powerful, knew exactly what to do to control him, and that's what worries me. Whatever it was that got to him, surely, is still out there."

"And you feel that whatever it was, will come to claim you." Ophanimon replied.

Matt did not reply, instead he let his mind wonder. He finally understood, finally realized why the great angel had asked to speak with him alone, she already knew of this threat, she had come to warn him, so he would not fall subject to the same fear that ruled Piedmon. He wasn't certain if the knowledge of this threat's existence gave him peace, or disturbed him further.

"I thank you Lady Ophanimon for this information. And I assure you, I will do everything in my power to ensure peace in the name of the Digi-Core." The young Lord expressed confidently.

At this vow Ophanimon seemed somewhat troubled. Her head lowered in grief, but she did not speak on her concerns, instead she offered up this warning. "Just remember my Lord that peace, often has a high price, but it should never come at the cost of freedom."

Matt nodded in agreement; he wanted to question the angel on her sudden dolorous state, but decided not to intrude. What the angel wanted him to know she would tell him.

Ophanimon stood from her seat on the bench, her sight turned to where the sky had once glowed with the final light of the setting sun.

Matt too stood and turned his attention to the west, feeling for the first time, the cool of the night.

"Lord Yamato, there is one last thing I wish to give you, before I leave." 

At these thoughtful words, Matt turned his gaze back to the archangel, and waited calmly for her to continue.

Ophanimon did not speak again, instead she held out her slender hand. At first nothing happened, but after a moment a dim golden light began to glow above her opened palm. The dim light looked like a fallen star, resting willing in the palm of an angel. After a moment the light grew brighter, and the gold slowly faded into soft silver. The silver glow radiated in her palm for a moment, and then the angel's hand closed around the light, causing all traces of it existence, to vanish.

Ophanimon tightened her grip, then took a few steps closer to Matt.

Matt tilted his head slightly in curiosity, then held out his hand, ready to receive his gift.

Ophanimon smiled then extended her own arm and dropped the gift in Matt's opened palm.

For a moment, the teen just stared at the trinket in his hand. He could not help but show his surprise at the sight of the small silver ring. The band was simply; there were no jewels to add color, no gold to add worth, only some strange engravements, in a language, which was alien to the blonde.

Matt took a closer look at the ring, turning it in his fingers then looked up at the angel in bewilderment. "I can not read the digi-code." He explained, slightly embarrassed by his own inadequacy.

"That is understandable, considering there are none who can." Ophanimon explained, amused by the blonde's troubled scowl.

"It is a language long forgotten by this world." She further explained. 

"This is the Spiritual Ring, one of three ancient tools, used to help keep peace in this world. The ring was owned by a great mega angel, his soul was pure and his desire for unity and peace in the Digital World was boundless." As Ophanimon explained, a hint of sorrow filled her voice, at the thought of the ring's previous owner.

"Then why give this Ring to me?" Matt question, knowing that whoever first owned the silver band, must have had a great place in the female digimon's heart.

"It belong to a pure and virtuous soul, and it was his wish, that it be in the hands of another." She explained with a bittersweet smile.

"What happened to him? If I might ask." Yamato asked softly.

The same bittersweet smiled played on the angel's lips. "Long ago, when the Digital World was still young, the land and the digimon were different. We lived in a utopia, governed by three great celestial digimon. Each of these celestials possessed one of the three spiritual items, and used the power of these items, to keep peace amongst the ancient race. But sadly, nothing as wonderful as the old ways, can last, and as the digital world expanded, more of the virtue in our people began to fade. Many event lead to the final destruction of this old race, leaving only a few ruins to remind the world of what once was."

"This ring was owned by the greatest of the celestial digimon, and is one of the few things, which remain of the old ways. There was a time, long before the forging of the four regions, when a great darkness threatened to destroy this youthful world, and it is through the struggle of this forgotten race, that the digital world still stands today. The three celestial digimon, led the armies of the ancient race in a war against the darkness, but sadly, victory came at a heavy price, as many were destroyed."

"The few who remained alive after the war, settled in File Island, building a small society, governed under the only surviving celestial leader. A government was rebuilt, however, the race could not flourish as it once did, and so when new breeds of digimon arrived on the island, the ancient race left. Giving their right to the world, over to these, new creatures, and allowing the Digital entities to have full govern over the land and digimon."

Ophanimon stopped for a moment, knowing that she had the teen's full attention.

"There have been many ages to this world Yamato, but there has been one thing that has not changed, and that is the force that brought the first darkness upon the Digital World. The force that drove Piedmon made. It is still here, it still watches, waiting for the time, when it will find the ultimate pawn to finish it's plans for full destruction over the world."

Again Ophanimon paused, and Yamato could feel the intensity in her words, the weight of her warning.

"You are not immune to this age old cycle. It has seen you, felt your power, and it will come for you, just as it has done all Lord's before you. And when the time comes, you will have to face this demon alone. None will stand with, not even your fellow Digidestined. You will be abandoned to your own conscience, left too decided the fate of this world. And when this time comes, you will not remember me, or what we have spoken of, you will not remember your friends, your generals, or even your brother. All you will be aware of is yourself and a choice."

Yamato tightened his grip upon the silver ring in his hand. He found his mind spinning with the angel's words.

"Something to think about huh." The teen stated in a daze. 

"Do not dwell on it now, Lord Yamato, take you journey one step at a time." Ophanimon expressed kindly, knowing that her words had greatly troubled, an already, troubled mind, but also knowing that what she said, had to be spoken.

"Your comrades died fighting this force, Piedmon was destroyed by obeying this force. If you could not beat it, then how am I suppose to?" he questioned weakly.

"That you must figure out on your own. All of us have been given the power to defy destiny. Fate would have it that you follow those before you, and fall to this evil, but are you really going to allow destiny to control you? To chain you?" 

Matt jerked his downcast head up at these words, suddenly inspired by the Lady angel's courage. 

"This is a great gift you have given me, Lady Ophanimon, and I swear to you that I will use it to avenge your fallen allies, as well as the Lord which came before me." Yamato vowed, solemnly.

"I know you will, Lord Yamato." The archangel replied with a smile.

The conversation ended, and the two walked on in silence. One with thoughts of her painful past, and another with thoughts of a painful future.

And the sun had set, leaving darkness to cover the land once more.

~*~*~

Tiny flames danced upon ashen wicks, and drops of melted wax ran down long slender candles, mixing with the pools of cooling wax, which formed on the rim of the candleholders. The candleholders, all of polished iron, littered the large room. Groups of small brad stands and winding vine like stands, were placed around the throne room thoughtlessly. The smooth onyx floor reflected the flickering light, as the soft night breeze gently brushed the flames, causing them to flicker merrily, as the only joyful objects in the room.

The carelessly placed candles really did not brighten the large, open room; all they served for, was a dim sense of comfort. A pale glow, barely seen by the teen sitting on his throne. They were like the stars, dim, beautiful, but not really necessary. They didn't give off enough light to illuminate the room, only enough to let the blonde know that they were there.

But none of this really mattered; the candles had faded from the teen's mind, as well as the cold darkness of night. He had blocked everything out, finding no use in dwelling on the bleak elements of the world at midnight. 

He sat calmly on his throne, lost in the maze of concerns, which trapped all great leaders. Concerns for his people, his land, and his loved ones. Stray strands of golden blonde hair slipped over his face, concealing part of his right eye, but no hand went to push the strands away, instead they lay there, out of place and completely unnoticed by their owner. 

The teen slumped low in his throne, both legs stretched out lazily, while his chin rested on his knuckles, and his elbow was propped on the throne's arms rest. His long red coat fell around him, covering most of the throne, and his bare toes stretched a bit, before he grew still once more. Like a statue, he sat, barely breathing, his body dead, but his mind racing.

The throne, shaped of solid silver with dark blue velvet cushions, felt the weight of its master upon it. Felt the weight of the many concerns running through its master's mind, like led pushing down upon its legs.

Matt had long forgotten that he was sitting on a rather uncomfortable throne, he had sunken so deeply inside himself that everything was like a distant illusion, and all that was truly real to him was his earlier walk in Eden and the lady angel's warning.

__

"You are not immune to this age old cycle. It has seen you, felt your power, and it will come for you, just as it has done all Lord's before you."

'But how can I stop it? How can I fight something, when I don't even know what it is I'm fighting?' 

The questions circled his mind. They clouded his thoughts like a heavy fog, and he felt lost, lost in his own fear and lack of knowledge.

__

"Fate would have it that you follow those before you and fall to this evil, but are you really going to allow destiny to control you? To chain you?"

'She was right, I can't allow what happened in the past, to stop me from succeeding in the future. But I only wish, I could have learned more. There was so much I wanted to ask her. So much I need to know.'

He had thought about asking her everything. The wise angel knew so much of the Digital World before the separation of regions and before the creation of the Digi-gods. This was a part of the world's history that he knew very little of. The Digi-Core had only uploaded the more recent history into his mind, which was understandable considering the Nightmare Soldiers did not come into existence until much later in history. But he had wondered, why not let him know more?

'Was Cayla afraid that I would refuse this position if I had known before? She must have been afraid, I mean, she already lost one Lord to this evil. I'm sure the fear of loosing another must be very overwhelming.'

Matt leaned back tiredly in his seat, feeling, for the first time, the immense pain in his lower back from the extremely uncomfortable throne. Subconsciously a hand reached for the ring, dangling from a silver chain around his neck. He still wasn't certain why Ophanimon had given him the ring, and he also couldn't help but wonder who possessed it before him. But he tried not to let those questions cloud his mind. It was true that he now had a great curiosity about the Digital World's early history and the ancient races, but he knew his focus had to remain in the present.

'Deamon is still out there, and right now he should be the focus of all of my attention.'

His mind began to wander again, and he found himself unwilling thinking about his friends. He thought of the real world, his brother, the Digidestined, and everything that had transpired the other night.

As his mind began to drift a strange sense began to fill his being. A power, not native to the South, a power almost as great as the three megas that stood in this very room only hours ago. 

He could feel it clouding his senses; it was as real to him as the cold breeze blowing through the open wall of the throne room. For a moment he wasn't certain what to think or how to react, but soon the shock of this new presence faded, and he was left angered. His muscles tightened in defense and the tension in his mind grew.

His teeth grinned together in irritation while his palms closed tight into fist. In his angered state he could only mutter out one world.

"Azulongmon."

The identity of his visitor, who was at the western platform, undoubtfully waiting for him, was unmistakable. The Digi-god of the East, the ruler of the wise and holy digimon, had come to the South. The teen could only hope that the mega dragon did not expect a warm welcome, because if so, he would be greatly disappointed.

With anger filling his being, and irritation circling in his mind, Yamato pushed himself off of his throne and walked calmly to the Western Platform, preparing himself for his first encounter with the greatest of all the Digi-gods.

~*~*~

The perfect rhythm of clock ticking echoed off of white washed walls. The circular device, filled with whir and wheels, was accustom to holding the fate of youth in it ticking hands. Many children had been sentenced to spend, what was to be their free time, locked in this room, due to poor behavior. Locked where time governed them, where only the pace of those long, slender, black dials decided freedom. Now the clock ticked louder then ever, proud to have another group of youth placed, unwillingly, in its grips. 

Deep, dark brown eyes, watched the white circle, with numbers painted on, dully, the actually taunting of the clock never quiet registering in their owner's mind. An exhausted body slouched in a black office chair, legs stretched out comfortably, and a heavy head rested on a tanned hand, which was elevated thanks to a bonny elbow propped on a small leather arm rest.

The deep, and somewhat haunted, eyes shifted from the clock to a man, clad in white and, pacing frantically from one end of the small computer lab to other. The man's, once soft blue eyes now shook with wildness, wildness seen only in people who feel like what little control they had over things, was slowly slipping through their fingers.

It was expected that the young man would react poorly, but none had expected this crazed frenzy. When he first received the news he was shocked. His eyes darkened and grew distant, his body swayed as though he were going to faint, and that had seemed bad. A horrible response from someone who was so highly looked upon by this group of impressionable youth, to grow speechless and freaked so easily, but then it only got worse. The stunned silence faded away, and the man began ranting. He kept shouting _why_ and _how could this happened_, and his distressed cries began to worry the youth. This was their mentor, their rock, and it was strange, almost frightening to see him with such a lack of control.

But the crazed shouting eventually stopped, and the room grew a bit calmer, still with all young eyes upon their rock. The man calmed, and soon control came back, and he sat. Sat with the Digidestined of Knowledge and the holder of Sincerity and Love. The two intelligent teens, spoke slowly, softly, as though they were dealing with a lunatic or a toddler. They informed the man of what little information they possessed, and questioned him gently on the few small facts he had gathered. He gave up his knowledge freely, and soon the three of them were hard at work, trying desperately to put the few misshapen pieces of this puzzle together.

The room grew clam once more, the tension faded, and the youth knew that the worse was over.

Tai smiled a bit as his eyes left the pacing man and scanned over the small computer room. It was a strange sight, but there was some comfort in it. The room was littered in jars of empty peanut better; cartons of devoured ice cream, and crushed soda and sardine cans. Children, and monsters, were spread out over the room, the majority of them sleeping, and that was comforting to the leader, to know that they could still rest easy, even in the midst of all of this doubt and pain.

Sora sat on a chair with her arms folded on one of the desk and her head resting on her arms, while Biyomon was perched on the back of the chair, both snoozed continently. Kari and Cody were curled up together in a corner, leaning on each other, while Gatomon spread out on both of their laps, and Upamon snuggled up next to Cody. Davis was spread out on one of the empty desk, with DemiVeem resting on his chest, both snored occasionally, and Davis mumbled, every once in a while, about pizza and soccer.

Joe sat on a bench, with his back leaned against the wall, and his feet propped on a chair, reading a medical book, with no signs of tiredness. Gomamon, on the other hand, had fallen asleep over an hour ago in his partner's lap. Poromon, Agumon, and Tentomon where all piled on top of one another, sleeping continently.

It was a good sight for the leader, seeing all of them relaxed and resting up, but he still worried for those, whose soul attention was upon their troubles. Izzy, Yolie, Ken, and Wormmon, were still crowded around the computer, putting every theory and strategy on the drawing board. Izzy would use his fast knowledge of the digi-port, and digi-vices, while Yolie would add an expert's opinion in programming and communication. Then Ken would offer his knowledge of data and digimon physiology, and Wormmon would put in his knowledge of location and regions of the Digital World. They were like a dream team, all of them having different, but valuable, knowledge about the Digital World.

Brown eyes moved from the team of geniuses, temporarily stopping on the still pacing man clad in white, then stopped on the main object of his concern. TK had been so quiet over the last hour. It had taken them until nine in he evening to finally get a hold of Gennia, and now it was a little passed midnight. From the moment Gennia arrived, and started his raving, TK's attention had fallen upon the large window in the room. The blonde pre-teen, moved his black office chair to the window and sat, quietly and unnoticed. Everyone else had either fallen asleep or found a, somewhat, productive way to occupy their time, but the blonde didn't move. He stayed glued, starring at the black world outside.

With a sigh the Child of Courage rose from his seat, ignoring the quiet conversation going on behind him, and approached the blonde's backside. 

Patamon sat upright, and wide awake, in his partner's lap, his usually gleeful blue eyes starring out the window, with the same dullness that had clouded over TK's once bright eyes.

"How ya doing there shorty?" the brunette asked, as he pulled a chair out from a desk and sat next to the brother of his best friend.

"Shorty?" the pre-teen repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Give me another year and I'll be taller than you." He expressed mockingly.

"Not funny." Tai pouted as he crossed his arms. 

The smiles faded from both of the young men's faces, and the weariness of their situation returned. 

"I've noticed you've been offal quiet lately, wha'cha doing over here?" the young leader questioned kindly.

"Thinking." Came the flat, and vague response, and Tai was forced to marvel at how much the simply reply, made the young boy seem so much like his brother.

"He'll be all right." Tai stated, trying to convince himself as well as the younger boy.

"Maybe, but I'm not so sure I will be." Came the honest reply.

"Well that makes two of us. But still…" Tai paused for a moment trying to find the right words. "Maybe it's time that we're not all right. I mean we've always been all right, maybe it's time for a change."

At this TK shifted in his chair, and looked at the older boy for the first time in the last hour. "What is that suppose to mean?" he questions skeptically.

"Well I guess it means that, maybe it's time to grow." The teen tried to explain, still not certain if he was making any since. "Sometimes we get in this place in our lives, where everything is all right. You know, you get into this routine, and everything is pretty good, sure there's the occasional misfortune, but for the most part, everything is all right. And we get dependent; we get so use to everything being all right, that we almost grow afraid of the unknown. Everything's good, so why make a change? Even if that change could be good, we still live by the motto _if it ain't broke don't fix it_. And that cripples use. All right, is good, but not being all right is real. Sure, if you move from all right you're probably going to experience pain and disappointment, but at least you'll be moving. Sure, all right is good, but moving, moving is real. Occasional disappointments and pain, is having proof that you actually lived."

TK listened to Tai closely, thinking over his words. "So what your saying is, I may or may not ever be all right again, but it's okay. Moving forward from all right, whether it be a good place or not, is just living."

"Basically." Tai explained, still not certain that, even he, fully understood his explanation.

"Thanks Tai," TK chirped, sounding happier than he had the whole night, "in some strange way, that makes since."

"Well I'm glad I could help." The brunette replied with a smile.

"If only there was a way to talk to Matt." Yolie expressed sadly.

"Don't worry about that, it's already taken care of." Gennia answered calmly.

For the first time TK's and Tai's attention, shifted to the group of problem solvers on the other side of the room.

"What do you mean, _it's already taken care of_?" Tai question suspiciously.

"Azulongmon is going to the South, to address the matter personally." The digital being explained with pride.

"You don' think there's going to be any fighting, do you?" Ken asked with deep concern.

"I don't know, both the South and the East wish to see the end of Deamon, but other than having that in common, they are worlds apart." Gennia stated thoughtfully.

'Matt please don't do anything you're going to regret.'

TK thought sadly to himself, as the rest of the awake children went back to work on trying to figure out what Deamon's next move might be.

~*~*~

Clouds blew ominously across the velvet sky. The dim glow of the moon barely, traveled passed the curtain of white, and only pierced the thinnest of clouds. The air was cold, as the sun had set many hours ago. The land was now ruled by darkness, controlled by shadows, and the South found strength in this time. The forsaken people of the South, were given control, once the sun had set and the light had relinquished its power to night.

Forbidden Valley was no exception to this increase in strength, if anything, the heart of the South gained more control, raising it above the rest of the continent. The shadows of the towering mountains, gave power to the night, and the dark forests welcomed midnight freely, loving the brake from the hot, oppressing sun. 

It was the time of day when the South was at its strongest, and this is what greatly confused the young Lord, who slowly exited one of the empty rooms, of the grand Hall of the South, and made his way to the open night air. Matt walked slowly, almost ideally, up the winding stare case, which led to the Western Platform. His mind going over the many possibilities behind the digi-god's visit.

Matt made his way up the final steps of the stare case and walked onto the platform. The Western Platform, was once one of the smaller mountains, which was concealed by the larger mountains surrounding the valley. Sorcermon and the architects saw the forgotten peak as the perfect location for visitors to enter the hall. So the construction workers went to work, and smoothed the peak of the cliff, until it was like a mesa. Then they polished the top until it glowed. 

Once the basic structure was completed, they lined the edges with eight pillars at Matt's request. The pillars represented the original eight Digidestined, of course, only Matt and his generals were aware of that. Attached to each of the pillars, was a torch, and these eight torches, were the only light placed upon the elevated mesa. 

Matt stood alone, tall and proud, upon the platform. The wind blew strongly at this altitude, pulling at the teen's long coat, and playing with the bright flames upon the torches. Circling the platform from above, was a flock of Devidramon. The demon dragons were the guardians of the borders to Forbidden Valley. Normally they rested, encased in stone like statues, upon the many peaks surrounding the valley, but even in their hibernating state, their senses are strong, and the moment an intruder approaches they know.

The Devidramon did not attack Azulongmon when the holy dragon first arrived in the valley; instead they waited, knowing, that the master of the South, would tell them when it was time to attack. And so the obedient demon's waited, they flew above their master in a glorious air show, circling the platform like buzzards, and waited.

Azulongmon was there, concealed by the clouds, he watched, waiting to see if Yamato would command the attack.

Matt looked up, he knew the digi-god was there, he felt him long before he stepped onto the platform. The Devidramon flew overhead, and he knew they would not make a move until ordered, and so he snapped his fingers, signaling the end of the demonic air show.

The Devidramon silently departed, twelve went away, returning to their normal perches on the mountains, while four remained behind. These four swooped down to the platform, and landed on four of the tall pillars. Now there were two Devidramon on both sides of Yamato, leaving the pillars in front of him and the pillars behind unoccupied.

The young Lord knew that the four champion digimon would not be threatening to the great digi-god of the East, however they would serve as a warning, letting the mega know that Matt had little patients for him.

The clouds thinned, and soon a great light blue, transparent body appeared.

Matt looked up, watching the dragon closely. Slowly the great beast flew lower until at last he was close enough to speak with the waiting teen.

"It is good to see you, Yamato." Azulongmon began gently, knowing that he was unwelcome.

"Skip the pleasantries and tell me why you're here." The blonde shot back coldly.

Azulongmon nodded, never once loose his composure. "I have come to speak with you."

"Obviously." Matt replied flatly.

Azulongmon seemed to ignore the teen's cold exterior, and continued with what he had come to say.

"I have come to ask you to forget this insane notion of being Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." The mega continued cautiously. "You are not like these digimon Yamato, you are a Digidestined. You have a responsibility to the light."

"That's all you've got? I expected more." Matt replied tiredly, then turned, preparing to leave the digi-god.

  
"I know what Cayla told you Yamato, that you originally were not going to become a Digidestined." Azulongmon shouted, causing Matt to stop dead in his tracks. "You should know that this is true, but if you had never come here then that would have been a mistake, you fit with the Digidestined, it is your place." 

"My place…" Yamato whispered quietly to himself. For some reason this hit him hard, he had expected force, yelling and threats, but he had never expected pleading. He had never expected, that they would ask him back. 

As doubt clouded his mind again, Matt found his hand slowly reaching for the trinket dangling around his neck. Shaking fingers gripped tightly upon the Spiritual Ring, and Yamato could feel it. He could feel the ring's power, could feel the very soul of the celestial digimon that bore it before him, hidden deep within the shinny metal.

"She never told you, did she?" Matt questioned softly, his words causing confusion to appear in Azulongmon's gentle red eyes. 

Matt turned around when he received no reply, his hand letting go of its hold upon the ring. "Cayla never told you about what really happened to Piedmon. She never told you about the world before you and the other digi-gods." Matt now felt pity for the great digi-god; he felt pity for this entire generation of digimon.

"There was never a need to know of what came before us." The wise digimon replied calmly, keeping his front, even when feeling uncertainty.

"But if you don't know what mistakes happened in the past, how can you hope to avoiding making them in the future?" Matt questioned, a sort of urgency filling his voice. "You don't understand, and how can you? You were created for a purpose, and you have served that purpose, but there is more to the pain of this world then just the occasional crazed digimon. There is something much deeper, much darker." He explained, realizing fully for the first time that what Ophanimon said was true, he will have to face this alone.

"Yamato, the only thing I worry of now, is you, and that you will follow in Piedmon's steps." Azulongmon stated, finding the teen's words of distant danger too disturbing to consider.

"Well I won't." the teen replied calmly. "You should go Azulongmon, I have a lot to do before I return to the real world." Yamato stated, losing interest in the mega, as he began to go over what all needed to be done before he faced Deamon.

"You intend to return home?" the mega questioned in surprise.

"Of course." Matt replied with a smile. "I have an unfinished score to settle with Deamon." The teen replied before he waved his hand, signaling the Devidramon to escort Azulongmon off of his land.

The Devidramon took to the air, and Azulongmon went freely, knowing that he could do no more, then he already had.

Once the five dragons had faded into the distance, Matt began to pace the platform, his mind going of his situation.

'I have something to settle with Deamon, and I have forgiveness to ask of my friends.' He thought worriedly to himself.

"This new age has begun." The young Lord declared, as he went to summon his generals, knowing that returning home will be the most difficult test he has ever had to face.

~*~*~

Just to let you know, Pharaohmon, Anubismon, and Ophanimon are real digimon. The Spiritual Ring is an actually item in the Digimon card game, as well as the other two Spiritual items that I spoke of. So I have no clam to these things, if you want to use them don't e-mail me asking for permission, just go a head and use them. 

Also, the vague story that Ophanimon told is not a rip off of season four, I plan to explain it better later, but the only real similarities are the three celestial digimon.

Okay now that that's over with, please go review and tell me what you think. I could use opinions on everything, since I'm a little uncertain about the quality of this chapter. Thanks for your reviews and thanks for sticking around, I know how long this took, so thanks for not giving up on me. Oh last thing is that there is only two more chapters after this one, so be prepared for * dramatic music * the end.


	15. Tears From The Sky

A/N: Every time I think I have a plan, something changes. I had originally planned to fit everything into two more chapters, but after seeing how long this chapter was becoming, I decided to make it three. This chapter is a fill in, it's slow, long, and drawn out, but I really wanted to get some last minute character developments in. now that I'm on the finally stretch, I wanted to make certain I cover everything. This chapter does, however, serve some purpose; it sets the scene and the mood for the next chapter, which will be dominated by battle scenes. Anyway please read and enjoy.

Also I wanted to dedicate this fic to FireBird9900. I hope you have an amazing birthday, filled with cake and ice cream and friends and presents and anime and cake and ice cream… man now I have a sugar craving. Anyway, thanks for all of your support and most importantly of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

~*~*~

It was a ghost town, deserted and dead. Debris and dust covered blood stained roads and side walks, slivers of broken glass reflected the morning's light, and destroyed homes leaned towards the filthy ground as though gravity had increased. 

The people fled, that's all they could do. Better that your home and everything you've ever known be destroyed, then your life. And so the people left, evacuated their apartments and piled on buses, which took them on long, bumpy rides to other cities. Tear streaked faces watched through, the insect internal and dust covered, windows as they were whisked swiftly away from their everything. 

Far too many people had to leave without knowing that their love ones also made it to the buses. Far too many people were ushered on the old, rattling machines, before they could say goodbye to the ones they knew didn't make it to the buses. 

The death count wasn't as bad as it could have been; at least that's what the people told themselves, as the sat cramped on hot transports. The officials estimated about thirty-five, not too many, it could have been worse. After all, when the television station was attack sixty-two had died, all older, no children were even scratched in that attack. 

But it wasn't the numbers or the facts, it was the feeling. Now they didn't just know the pain of loss, they felt it, and the death count wasn't done yet. There could still be more, buried under the debris, but they couldn't think about that. 

Instead the fleeing people thought of those who actually chose to stay behind. Some of the older, stubborn people declared that no _crazy spirits_ were going to chase them out of their homes, and so they stayed. Rescue teams stayed, going over every inch of the city, just to be certain that no one was over looked. And of course reporters stayed behind, hoping, that if there were another attack, they'd be the first to get the inside scoop.

And so most of the streets were completely vacant. Even a graveyard ghost would get too lonely haunting this town.

The sun rose a little bit higher, it was still early morning, but at least now the rescue teams didn't have to work in the dark. A lot of the city's power was cut off; making it difficult for the brave and kind men and women whom stayed behind to operate. The people needed the light, which is exactly why the shadows targeted it. They were given very specific orders, start chaos, cripple the humans, and set the stage for my arrival, and so that is what they did.

The shadows crawled over the buildings, like insects they put one clawed hand in front of another, moving with amazing stealth. The humans never saw them, a discarnate conscience existing for the soul purpose of serving their master. 

The humans never saw the blotches of darkness reach out a long bonny arm and slash through whirs, causing electrical fires, or cutting off the emergency power they were receiving. They never saw the shadows do their vice then crawl quickly back up the sides of half destroyed buildings, returning to the darkness inside the forgotten offices and homes.

The cruel vermicular like creatures had completed their task, they slowed the humans down, keeping the fear fresh in the people's minds, and now they crept back to the shadows, hissing spitefully at the rising sun, angered that the glowing orb put an end to their fun. Then once hidden safely in the darkness, they'd laugh gleefully, as their twisted minds went over the tricks they played on the unsuspecting people. Then they'd grow silent, their slanted gray eyes would narrow in the darkness as they thought, _and the fun has only begun. Our master has yet to arrive._ So they'd slink back, and get comfortable, waiting for their evil dragon commander to call them from the shadows once more. Then the true fun would begin then.

The little old, brass bell chimed as two glass doors opened. The doors stopped once they reached the limit of their hinges and a group of misfit teens, and strange colorful creatures, piled into the tiny diner. The group silently looked around to see what seating was available and, to their joy, every seat was empty, meaning that they were the only customers.

Instantly they spread out into the diner, snatching up their preferred seat and sat down wearily. Once everyone was sitting you could hear sighs of relief blowing through the diner, as sore legs and feet were finally given a brake from the strain of standing and walking.

"Oh, customers!" a sweet voice exclaimed, as if surprised to see anyone.

The voice belonged to an elder lady, who stood behind the counter looking over the group carefully. The woman continued to stare, until her eyes landed on Agumon, who was sitting on the outside of a booth next to Tai.

The group noticed where the woman's attention had fallen and immediately began to stiffen nervously in their seats. _What if she throws us out? Or tells the officers about our digimon?_ These questions screamed in the tiered minds of the Chosen Children as their hopes for breakfast slowly faded away.

"Um… Ma'am…" Tai addressed the waitress cautiously.

The woman blinked and brought her gaze up away from Agumon and looked over curiously at Tai.

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but we're really hungry and…" Tai didn't have a chance to finish as the woman immediately shifted from frighten citizen mode, to maternal giving mode.

"Oh, you poor dears, I am so sorry. You just wait right here and I'll get you some menus." The woman chirped, sounding a little embarrassed for not attending to her customers immediately.

Tai watched as the woman disappeared into the back, then turned his focus to the others at his table. "Do you think she's going to call the cops?" he asked uneasily.

"Mrs. Dain?" Davis asked with a chuckle, "Of course not, I bring DemiVeemon here all the time and she never complains. In fact sometimes she gives him free pie." The goggle-wearing boy explained, as DemiVeemon nodded in conformation.

"Then why do you think she looked at Agumon so strangely?" Tai asked, still not completely convinced that he could trust Mrs. Dain.

"I don't know." Davis replied honestly as he leaned back on the tall red, rubber cushion, which made up most of the booth's backrest.

Tai was going to question Davis further, maybe find out why exactly Mrs. Dain knew about DemiVeemon, but just as he was about to speak; the elder woman reentered the room carrying a stack of menus.

"Sorry it took so long darlings, we were cleaning them off last night, and I left them in the back to finish drying." She explained as she walked from behind the counter and began to pass out the menus to the tables in the center of the dinning area.

The booth was the last place the woman visited, and she smiled kindly as she handed the last two menus, to Izzy, who sat next to Davis, and one to Agumon. This last move shocked everyone at the booth, especially since the lady had looked so strangely at Agumon, still no one decided to question her on it. 

"I must admit, I'm a little surprised to see you children, I was sure that everyone left in the evacuation." The waitress stated thoughtfully, as if she was speaking to herself.

"You stayed behind." Izzy stated, as if to argue that their reason for being in the city could very well be the same as hers.

The woman laughed lightly at this, then replied. "Well don't think I didn't want to leave, but my husband is a stubborn man. He says we didn't leave the last time monsters came parading down our streets, and we're not going to leave this time." She explained as she looked back at the door, that leads to the kitchen, where her husband waited with a spatula in hand, ready to make the kids' choice of breakfast.

Tai stared at the elder woman in awe; she stayed behind in a dangerous time and didn't even seem afraid because of it. She really was a strong woman, and despite her age she still managed to carry herself high and proud. Her jet-black hair grew gray at the roots, and was pulled back in a tight bun, so to keep the many strands out of her face. Her face had gained wrinkles under the eyes and around the mouth with age, but you could still see the essence of lingering youth, and were able to form a good picture of what her face might have been like when see was a teen. Her lips were red and voluptuous, and her dark brown eyes sparkled with kindness and joy, while burning with the fires of a strong will.

"Now what can I get you all to drink?" the woman questioned happily.

"We'll all have water." Tai stated flatly, knowing that they needed to watch their spending as much as possible.

The waitress nodded in confirmation then walked behind the counter. She hummed lightly to herself as she began to pull out two large round trays. Then she grabbed twelve glasses off of a rake, and began to fill them with ice and tap water. She carried the two trays over to the seats, and passed them out amongst the customers until the trays were empty, then she returned behind the counter and pulled down ten glasses and repeated the processes again until everyone had a full glass of ice water.

"I'm going to step in the back right quick, just call when you're ready to order." The waitress stated, turning, so that those seated at the tables knew that her words were for all of them.

The group waited, all quietly looking over their menus, until Mrs. Dain had disappeared behind the swinging door, which led to the kitchen.

"So what are you going to get?" Tentomon questioned from his seat beside Tai.

"Well I was thinking about pancakes, wallfulls, sausage, and eggs." Davis replied before he even glanced at the menu.

"Those are good choices." DemiVeemon agreed, as he hoped over to Izzy and stole a quick look, at the now perfectly clean, menus.

"Davis, must I remind you that we're on a budget." Izzy stated flatly, as he casually flipped the page in the menu.

"I want, eggs, bacon, and a biscuit." Tentomon placed while raising a clawed limb, hoping that it would help him be heard better.

Izzy nodded in conformation, taking a mental note of his partner's order, then went back to glancing over the menu.

"Hey Davis?" Tai spoke, forcing the red head to end his staring contest with Tentomon.

After the insectoid digimon declared his victory, Davis turned his full attention to Tai. "What's up Tai?" 

"How come Mrs. Dain knows about DemiVeemon?" Tai questioned curiously.

Davis looked at the older boy blankly for a moment then responded. "Well you see, one day I came in here and ordered a lot of food, me and DemiVeemon were going to split it. Anyway Mrs. Dain made a huge deal on how no one person could possible eat so much, and she wouldn't give me my food unless she was allowed to sit and watch me eat every last bite. Well I tried to eat it all, and I probably could have too, except DemiVeemon was in my backpack at the time, and well he hadn't eaten all day long. So I guess when he smelled the food he kind of lost it, because he jumped out of the bag and practically attacked my cheese burger." Davis explained, blushing at the embarrassing tale.

"Was she the only one who saw?" Tai asked nervously, still remembering all of those reports on how the government was looking for digimon and the monster tamers.

"Yeah, well she and her husband. I was the only customer." He explained, the goofy tone fading from his voice, once he realized how worried the older boy was about the whole ordeal.

"And she didn't take it badly?" Izzy questioned, his curiosity pulling him into the conversation.

Davis shrugged his shoulders casually, then replied. "Not as badly as most. She freaked a little at first, and tried to hit DemiVeemon with a broom, but after he hopped on her head and begged her not to kill him, which I'm sure she was capable of doing, she was cool about it."

Tai only nodded, deciding that Davis probably didn't know much more then that. 

"Well that's not the first time DemiVeemon's stomach has almost gotten him killed…" Tentomon expressed as he gave the in-training digimon a sly look.

"And I certainly don't intend to make it the last." The little blue digimon replied proudly, as he crossed his short little arms in mock defense. 

The people at the booth laughed at the little digimon's show, and the tension of breakfast faded away.

'Boys, why do they have to be so loud.' Kari thought, a little bitter at having her thoughts interrupted by the boys at the booth and their laughing.

She yawned still not fully awake, Tai had decided to wait until everyone was completely ready to go before waking her. She was a little upset for not being including in the decision to go get breakfast, but she was thankful for the extra sleep, not that is was really restful.

She sighed at her own lack of optimism, then looked over the other occupants of the room. To anyone else the group of teens and monsters, would seem perfect, the way they behaved so comfortably around one another would lead you to believe that nothing could divide this group, but Kari knew that wasn't the case.

"Mrs. Dain!" Davis shouted braking through Kari's sadden thoughts. "I think we're ready to order!" 

"Hey Davis, just because everyone at you table is ready, doesn't mean everyone else is!" Yolie scolded in irritation, as she closed her menu and placed it on the table.

Davis stuck his tongue out at the Child of Love and Sincerity's protest, but retracted it once Mrs. Dain appeared behind the counter again.

"Ready to order?" she question, not fully certain if that was the meaning behind Davis loud call.

"Yeah I guess so." Yolie stated, upset that she had been defeated by her need for food.

Mrs. Dain smiled cheerfully, then began to walk from behind the counter and towards the awaiting customers. Thoughtlessly she pulled out a little pad and pencil, then waited for each of the children and monsters to place their orders.

After the first table, which consisted of Joe and Gomamon, Cody and Upamon, and Ken and Wormmon, gave their orders the waitress skipped over to the next table, Where Sora and Biyomon, Yolie and Poromon, TK and Patamon, and Kari and Gatomon offered their orders. Mrs. Dain smiled as she wrote down the rather large orders, while taking note that the monsters ordered the most, and the boys at the first table ordered less than the group at the second table. After she recorded the orders on the pad, and the information about the group in her head, she bounced happily over to the booth, ready to take the last orders.

Immediately a stream of ridiculous, and very large orders, came pouring from the booth. Mrs. Dain tried to deceiver the many different, not to mention strange orders, being thrown at her, but her attempts were to no avail.

"Come on now boys." The woman stated slightly annoyed as she placed her small hands on her dainty hips. "One at a time so I can understand you." She scolded with a smile, earning her some embarrassed blushes and soft apologies.

The members of the booth placed their orders again, only this time they each took a turn, starting with Izzy and working their way around the booth.

Mrs. Dain nodded as she scribbled the orders down, taking note that the boys and monsters at this table ordered more than the other two tables combined. "Well I'll have these right out to you as soon as they 're ready." She stated then began to gather up the menus, going back to each table and collecting them, before walking casually back behind the counter and disappearing once again through the swinging door.

"I wonder why Genai didn't want to come with us." Yolie questioned out loud, as she began to play idly with the salt and peppershakers.

"I don't think that Genai eats." Sora explained. 

It seemed like a reasonable enough excuse to not join them for breakfast, she also knew that he was going to go back to the Digital World for a while and speak with Azulongmon. The Digidestined could only hope that the Digi-god of the East could shed some light on when they could expect Matt's return.

Kari took a small sip of cold water from her transparent, red, plastic cup, then watched as Yolie and Sora's brief exchange of words came to an end. The young Child of Light knew that tensions were high, everyone had a different opinion about Matt, and what he was doing, and of course no one was planing on sharing those opinions now. They'd simple keep it to themselves. Let their own wild imaginations come up with some rational theory on their friend and his actions.

The young pre-teen knew that, despite the groups earlier show of moral, there were still doubts. TK and Tai's faith in Matt was unquestionable, and Kari knew that the others couldn't argue, at least not openly, with that. 

Sora still had her doubts, it was true Matt was her friend, but she had seen a darker side of him before, and that side nearly destroyed them once. Yolie never really spent that much time with the older boy. But her convictions led her to believe that the Nightmare Soldiers were the most diabolical digimon in the Digital World, and for that, the glasses wearing young lady, found it hard to believe that any good could come with associating with them.

Izzy had, of course, remained completely neutral. The young genius refused to believe anything without solid proof. He did now, and always would, consider Matt a friend, but he never let sentiment interfere with judgment, and so he remained silent. Cody seem to have taking Izzy's path. The young boy had made the mistake of not forgiving and trusting Ken, and he did not want to feel that kind of guilt again, and so he too remained neutral, deciding that it was far better to wait for actually proof, then to form opinions based on emotions.

Joe knew Matt had a darker side to him, but he absolutely refused to believe that the younger boy would betray the Digidestined. When he was stuck at Digitamamon's dinner, it was Matt who sacrificed his wishes to go find his brother, to help Joe. And the navy hair teen knew in his heart, that Matt had a great love for this misfit group of kids and monsters.

Ken actually knew very little about the Nightmare Soldiers, they were some of the few digimon that he had had trouble controlling as the Digimon Emperor, and so he rarely used them in his experiments. He also didn't know Matt very well. They had only spoken a few times, but despite their lack of a real relationship, Ken felt greatly connected to the older boy. They had both seen, and even been a part of, the darker side of the Digital World, and they had both, with the help of their friends, managed to brake free. He didn't even want to think that Matt had betrayed them, because that destroyed the hope he had for his own life, still the indigo hair boy wouldn't rule it out. He, of course, would hold no grudge if Matt did betray the Digidestined, but he wasn't going to decided one way or another, until he saw the blonde teen again.

Davis was like a blazing fire of friendship. Kari was forced to wonder if the thought that any of the Digidestined were capable of turning against the group, had ever crossed his mind. He was the first to accept Ken into the group, and the ruby-eyed girl was certain that he held no grudge on Matt.

Kari took another sip of her water, put the glass down, and then whipped the sweat, from the glass, off of her hand, and onto her shorts. She then leaned back lazily on the metal back rest, fidgeted a bit, as she realized how uncomfortable the chair, with its shinny metal legs and back rest truly was. Finally she gave up her struggle for comfort, and simply leaned forward placing her elbows on the dull red table.

Her eyes scanned over the small dinner, she noticed the booths lining two of the walls, the one door exit behind her, the two door entrance, that the group had come through, and the one bath room on the entrance side of the room, past the counter. She took note of how quaint the little dinner was, with the bar around the back and the old stools pushed up to the bar. An old radio on the counter, and large windows, making up the upper half of the walls, in over half of the shop.

'Matt would like this place.' She thought sadly to herself. 'He always liked the small, out of the way places.'

Little business that only the regulars visited and appreciated. The blonde boy would never be caught dead going to a fast food chain or a coffee house chain, it just didn't suit him. He found it all way too commercial, way too ordinary.

Kari stole a small glance in TK's direction, wondering if the younger boy had thought about Matt and the dinner too. From the look on the young man's face, she was certain he had. He could always find the little things that reminded him of Matt, and Kari was certain that when the Child of Hope gets his food, he'll stare blankly at it, wishing that it was his brother's cooking. TK had once told her that nothing, no matter how good it tasted, ever compared to his brother's cooking, and she knew that it had a much deeper meaning. That it went beyond a young man with a huge appetite, she knew that nothing, no matter what it was, could ever compare to the love those two brothers shared.

Soft humming came from behind the swinging door, and some of the group looked up as the white washed wooden door pushed open, and Mrs. Dain came through carrying two trays of steaming food.

Mouths began to water, as the smells of piping hot pancakes filled the room. Everyone from the second table and the booth leaned over a bit towards, the first table who were, _unfairly_, being served first. Joe gave a soft thank you to the waitress, as he gratefully took his plate piled with pancakes and bacon. The rest at the table thanked Mrs. Dain as they were served, earning them a smile from the elder woman, then went to work at doctoring their food with syrup, butter, and salt and pepper. After Mrs. Dain was certain that the first table was content with their orders, she went back to get the rest of the Digidestined and digimon's food.

"Mmmmmm! This was delicious!" Yolie cried with pleasure as she pushed her empty plate up the table a bit, signaling that she was done.

The group at the booth all groaned in response. They inhaled their food down the moment they got it, in fact Mrs. Dain barely had a chance to put the plates down before they grabbed their forks and dug in. Now everyone at the booth leaned back lazily, completely stuffed, but still wishing they could have some more.

"See, now if you hadn't eating so quickly you wouldn't have gotten a stomach." Kari lectured teasingly, before she stuffed the last bit of her French toast in her mouth.

"Please Kari, we don't have stomach aches." Tai argued back, "We're just waiting for our second course." He announced, even though he knew there wouldn't be one.

"Right." The Child of Light replied back sarcastically, then stretched. She was the last to finish, which meant they'd be leaving in a minute or so.

"Hey Wormmon!" Davis called kindly. "Are you going to eat that last biscuit?" the cinnamon hair boy asked sheepishly.

"What?" Sora asked in surprise, as she looked over at Davis. "You at more than all of us put together. How could you possibly still be hungry?" 

Davis look at her blankly for a moment, then replied, "Practice."

"Here you go Davis." Wormmon called, as he knocked the biscuit over to the awaiting pre-teen with his forehead.

"Are you kids done?" Mrs. Dain questioned, as she reentered the room from the kitchen.

"Absolutely." Joe stated, slightly in misery for having eaten so much, and slightly in regret for not eating more.

"Is this on one ticket? Or do you all want individual?"

"We'll have one ticket." Tai stated, he figured they could just put their money together.

"All right." Mrs. Dain stated as she went to ring the ticket up.

Agumon jumped out of the booth, letting Tai and Tentomon out, and the rest of the group stood from their seats, stretching and yawning.

They chatted a bit while waiting for the results of their feast.

"All right, all rang up." Mrs. Dain chirped sweetly.

Tai looked over at the digits displaying on the cash register, and immediately his good mood faded. He hadn't realized they ordered so much, and he was certain that, even combined, they wouldn't have enough.

"You know, my grandson talks about you a lot." 

Tai's head snapped up at the sound of Mrs. Dain's voice. She was talking casually to Agumon, something that kind of made Tai nervous.

"Your grandson? Have I met him before?" Agumon asked curiously, not recalling an encounter with the boy in question.

"Oh yes. He was one of the children being held at the conversion center during the first monster attack. He's always talking about how a dinosaur saved his and his sister's life." She explained as she recalled her grandson's stories. "I owe you a lot." The woman expressed gratefully to the rookie digimon.

Agumon smiled and blushed, reveling in one, of the very few, complements he would receive from humans, outside of the Digidestined circle.

"Um, Mrs. Dain?" Tai spoke up, after he had counted out the money for the meal. "I'm afraid were a couple of dollars short." He stated embarrassed.

"Oh that's all right, I'll just put the rest on Davis' tab." The woman stated with a broad smile.

"What?" Davis cried in woe, knowing that his tab was already considerably large.

"I'm only kidding dear." She replied kindly. "This one's on me."

"Are you sure Mrs. Dain, I mean the bill is pretty big." Ken stated, feeling badly for not paying for the meal.

"Of course darlings. You all just go out there a teach those evil monsters who's boss." The waitress exclaimed, as she swung her fist at a target that wasn't there. "Why if I was still young, I'd be out there with you, showing them things, you can't pick on children and get away with it!" 

Sora laughed at the elder woman's enthusiasm, and truly believed that she meant what she said. "I pity the digimon that comes to this dinner looking for trouble." She stated while chuckling.

Mrs. Dain smiled, a part of her truly wished she could go out there and defend her home, but she knew that this fight belong to these brave young men and women, so she did what she could. She showed her support and gratitude, knowing it might not seem like much, but also knowing it meant more than any mindless raving and threats ever could.

"You children be safe, and remember we're behind you."

The Digidestined nodded gratefully, then said their good-byes. 

After the children and monsters left, Mrs. Dain leaned lazily on the counter, going over the facts she had stored in her mind about the entire group. Remembering each of their faces, and trying to keep the sounds of their voices fresh in her mind.

She would have sat there for a lot longer, but the sound of crashing dishes drew her attention to the kitchen.

"What is that blasted husband of mind up to now." She exclaimed, in mock dread as she skipped happily back to the kitchen, while humming the rest of the chorus of the Teenage Wolf's first hit.

~*~*~ 

Two pale hands were pushed deeper into pockets, as shoulders slumped tiredly. Old black tennis shoes, with worn souls and dirt stained laces, stepped heavily on pavement. Occasionally pieces of broken glass would crack under the shoe's pressers, but for the most part the only obstacles the black shoes faced, were dried up brown leaves, which crumbled instantly, under the heavy pounding of frustrated steps. 

Vacant alleys and empty shops, echoed the sound of a fading winter's breeze; dark storm clouds circled, threateningly, above. A few sunrays managed to leek through the barrier of ominous clouds, but for the most part the city was shadowed by an odd hour crepuscule.

A thin frame shuddered, as another breeze swept through the empty streets, tossing old newspapers and other debris around carelessly. Tiered shoulders slumped further down, this time trying to escape the cold slap of air, however all efforts were in vain, and the wind still managed to hit its prey, forcing another shiver out of the defenseless teen.

Matt's mood was slowly going from determined to depression. He had come back for one main reason, and that was to beg his friends for forgiveness, but the more he saw of the damage from the last battle, the more he felt the need to beg the entire city for forgiveness. During the actual battles, he knew the damage had been pretty bad, but he had never imagined such un-concentrated destruction.

This wasn't like his people, this wasn't the work of well-trained and disciplined soldiers, this was the work of an out of control devil. Shattered windows, burned apartments, ravaged work places; these weren't effective attacks, this was just vandalism. 

The blonde felt his blood boil as he thought of all the needless destruction, Deamon didn't want a victory, he just wanted to prove, that out of all the evils to ever threaten both worlds, he was the worse. It sickened Matt, turned his stomach at the thought of such a careless leader. His own soldiers were being slaughtered, and for what? For the chance to give one more child a scare that would haunt his dreams far into adulthood.

'How could any ruler treat his people with such disrespect. And how could and soldier find glory in such weak attacks. Attacking defenseless people and their homes, what's to brag about that?' 

He couldn't help but grieve for the innocent, for the people simply trying to live their lives, but some how were thrown into this battle. People, who were forced to see the reality of war and hate, people, who no longer saw it as someone else's troubles, someone else's pain.

It defeated him in a way, he fought so that no one else would be forced to feel that pain, and now those efforts were lost to the rampage of crazed, devilish monsters.

Matt looked up for a moment, the sound of air splitting smoothly, caught his attention and he stopped walking. 

He listened, as behind him the gliding creature landed and walked softly on the sidewalk, until it was next to him. Once the creature was beside him, Yamato continued his walk, with the new comer keeping in pace with him.

"I went over the entire sector, this area is completely clear." 

Yamato nodded in acknowledgment to his companion's words.

"Where's Gabumon?" the creature questioned, once she realized that the rookie digimon was not present.

"He's going to meet me a couple of blocks from here." The blonde replied quietly.

Ladydevimon nodded, despite the fact that Matt could not see her. She looked over at her Lord in amazement, finding it hard to see that powerful ruler who had defeated Pharaohmon yesterday, in the quiet teen strolling down the street.

The teen looked as normal as any other kid, with baggy blue jeans, old black tennis shoes, a loose, long sleeve black T-shirt, and, of course, the thin black jacket, with its hood currently covering every strand of his golden hair.

"Are you all right Matt?" the demon digimon questioned with genuine concern.

"I'm just thinking." The teen replied softly.

They continued to walk in silence, heading towards the meeting point with Gabumon, but Ladydevimon knew something was troubling her Lord. He had been so reserved after his talk with Lady Ophanimon, and the fallen angel wondered what it was that the mega digimon told the him that upset him so much.

"I don't want to lose anyone." Matt suddenly declared, causing the scarlet-eyed digimon to stop dead in her tracks.

"What?" she questioned in surprise.

"I don't want to lose anyone." Matt repeated, this time with less conviction, but with more rationality. "War destroys so many lives, I just don't think I could stand to lose any of my friends." He expressed, as he lowered his head, giving into his depression.

"Matt you are the ruler of soldiers, loss is a strong part of your life." She stated seriously.

"I know." He whispered softly. "And I tried to convince myself that I'd be ready, if anyone I had a relationship with, died, but I was only kidding myself. The only reason I live is for my friends… you, Gabumon, my brother, all of them. You are my reason for living."

The fallen angel looked at her ruler sadly, wishing she could offer some short of kind words, but none came. She was a soldier, she was born and raised to fight and face the possibility of losing friends, and she had accepted that possibility a long time ago. She knew dwelling on it, would only drive her made, so she refused to think beyond the here and now.

"But now you have another reason to live Matt. You have a nation that needs you, that looks to you for strength. You will lose people along the way, but as long as you honor your memory of them and what they fought for, they will never truly leave you. Respect those who die in this war, by not letting their deaths, be the thing that defeats you."

Matt stared at the pavement for a moment, taking in what Ladydevimon had just said, her words didn't offer comfort, but they did offer strength. And at times like this, strength and the will to push forward, were far more valuable then any comforting words could ever be.

"Thank you Ladydevimon." He stated evenly, then began to walk again.

"The real world certainly is different." Ladydevimon mused aloud, once she and Matt began their walk again.

"This is your first time here?" the teen questioned curiously.

"Yes, actually this is my first time to ever leave the South." The fallen angel stated causally. 

"Really?" 

"Yes, well, the South has everything. Don't you think?" she questioned with a smile, showing her pride in her home.

Matt nodded in agreement then said. "Just about." To him it had everything, except the most important thing a place could have, his brother.

The two walked on in silence the rest of the way to Gabumon.

Gabumon flipped idly through the paper he found. He had finished the comics and was now moving to the more serious articles, such as the one on the latest monster attacks. He looked closely at the pictures taken of destroyed builds, thankful that no picture had been taken of the actually battles. He knew how important it was for the Digidestined's identities to remain a secret, so he was grateful that the camera crews didn't manage to get a shot at his partner and friends.

"Anything interesting?" a little champion digimon asked curiously, as he looked at this strange device used by the humans to inform other humans. 

"Fire fighters rescue cat stuck in tree, crazed monsters destroy half of the city, and the stock market is down again." The rookie digimon replied sarcastically.

Sorcermon only nodded, not really understanding any of the headlines. 

"Matt's here." Gabumon stated while still flipping through the paper.

"Where?" Sorcermon asked in confusion, as he scanned over the area.

The wizard gave up trying to locate the teen, and was about to turn and call Gabumon on his mistake, when suddenly both Matt and Ladydevimon turned a corner, and appeared in the open road.

"There." Gabumon replied to Sorcermon's earlier question with little interest.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Matt greeted friendly, as he and Ladydevimon reached the two awaiting digimon.

Gabumon shrugged his shoulders, then replied. "Nothing much, just waiting for you and now Renamon to arrive." The stripped digimon informed, as he rolled up the newspaper and tucked it under his arm.

"What is a stock market?" Sorcermon asked in confusion, everything about the human world seemed so strange to him.

"That's easy. It's a market full of stock." Ladydevimon announced proudly.

"Well it's a little more complicated than that." Matt stated, while trying to hold back a chuckle at his general's words.

Ladydevimon glared at Matt with offense, then crossed her arms. "Well, I didn't hear any of you saying what it was."

"Well we would tell Sorcermon what it is, but you see, there's this really annoying digimon, who has a tendency to open her mouth too much. Which is pretty irritating, considering she doesn't know what she's talking about half of the time." Gabumon stated sarcastically.

"Why you!" Ladydevimon huffed as he turned a death glare on the rookie digimon, which was returned in full force by the stripped rookie.

Matt laughed, "Why do you guys pretend to hate each other? We all know you couldn't live without the other." He mocked, earning a chuckle from Sorcermon.

"No way!" Gabumon stated angrily, as he turned around and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Ditto!" Ladydevimon exclaimed, then turned, mocking Gabumon's actions, which only got her more laughter from the two spectators.

"Well as amusing as this has all been, I still don't know anything about the stock market." Sorcermon spoke, a bit saddened that his quest for knowledge would be put on hold.

"Well, I don't really know much about it either, you have to be eighteen, or maybe it's twenty-one, to buy stock. But if you like, I can buy you a book on it later." Matt said to Sorcermon.

The champion digimon smiled, pleased with that idea, then nodded.

"Am I interrupting anything?" a smooth and eloquent voice asked, as a yellow fox digimon materialized on a streetlight above the group of three digimon and one human.

"No, in fact, we were just waiting for you." Gabumon greeted, smiling broadly at the allusive fox.

Renamon nodded, but did not reply; instead, she waited for the meeting to begin.

"Well who wants to go first?" Matt asked then waited.

Sorcermon stepped forward and began to speak. "I went over the entire north and northeast, and I saw nothing. It seems that Deamon's troops have pulled out of that area."

The next to go was Ladydevimon. "South and southeast is clear too, nothing there but some squirrels."

"There is nothing to report on the southwest." Renamon added quickly.

"Northwest is clear also." Gabumon announced seriously.

"This doesn't make any sense." Matt exclaimed in bafflement. "Deamon had the field, why would he retreat his forces, especially since there was nothing to resistant him." 

"It is possible that he called his troops back, so that they could regroup. You and the other Digidestined destroyed the more powerful threats; all that was left, were some weak champion digimon. He probably called them back so that he could form a more organized attack. Strike direct and hard, instead of this scattered vandalism." Ladydevimon explained her theory on the matter. She was the General of War and this was considered war.

Matt thought for a moment, going over the fallen angel's theory. "Deamon has had over thirty-four hours to regroup, if he's going to strike, it will be soon. He won't wait until we have the chance to build a stronger defense." 

"He probably left scouts over the city, some digimon have the power to allude even our senses. They are, more than likely, waiting until you rejoin your fellow Digidestined. Deamon has shown, many times, that he prefers the large flashy battles. Taking all of you down at once, most be very appealing to him." Renamon spoke now, being a scout herself, she knew how difficult it could be to locate the crafty digimon.

"Then all we can do is wait. Deamon has to come to us from the Dark Ocean. I hate the idea of just sitting around, waiting for the enemy to attack." Gabumon stated nervously.

"I do too, but we don't have any other choice. If Deamon wants to bring the battle to me, then let him. It doesn't matter who makes the first move, I'm going to make the last." Matt spoke firmly, knowing that he could do no more than what he already had. "Go back over the city, and try to see if you can find any of these scouts. If we know where their concentrating their focus on, we might be able to find the gate that Deamon will come through. This might give us the upper hand. But don't look too long. If you can't find anything then head back. Gabumon and I will wait for you at the bus stop where we arrived." 

Matt gave his orders, and his generals nodded then went to carry them out.

"You look like you could use some breakfast."

Matt blinked, then looked down at his partner questionably. "We don't have time. Besides I already ate earlier."

"Yes, but there wasn't any coffee." Gabumon replied as he grinned, knowing that his partner would not be able to turn down the chance for a cup of strong, hot coffee. 'You're tiered and slipping. Coffee won't change that, but it will, at least, comfort you, it will be something familiar, something from the life you left behind.' The rookie digimon thought sadly.

He had seen the effects, the slow inevitable slip into an overpowering lifestyle. Sleeping little, if at all. Eating meals on the run, pushing every nerve and muscles to their limit, and possibly going beyond. It was difficult, and painful, but Matt endured, silently. The young man tried to suffer alone, but his best friend, refused to allow it. If Matt suffered, Gabumon would suffer too.

"Well, the others won't be back right away, I guess one cup of coffee wouldn't hurt. But I'm not sure if any place is opened."

"Well, let's go find out." Gabumon stated, as he started walking down the sidewalk, with Matt following close behind.

The walk was short, and to Matt's surprise, they had found a small diner opened. In a flash both he and Gabumon were inside the dinner, escaping the cold and the wind from outside.

"What are you going to get?" Gabumon asked curiously, as he looked around the dinner, thankful that no one else was there.

"Just coffee." Matt replied softly, as he took a seat on one of the stools standing by the counter.

Gabumon took a seat next to Matt, struggle a bit to get comfortable because his legs were too short, then sat back and waited.

After a few seconds of silence a crash came from the kitchen, which was followed by two muffled voices yelling.

Matt smiled at the sounds, emanating from behind the swinging door, then began to count in his head, 'Three, two, one…' and suddenly Mrs. Dain emerged from behind the door, her back turned towards the awaiting customers. 

"You old coot! How many times do I have to tell you to use a pot holder when you pick up a kettle of boiling water!" the elder woman shouted, then turned around. For a moment she looked at the two waiting customers in surprise, then exclaimed, "Oh my! Is that dang bell even working?" she glared accusingly at little brass bell, whirred to the door.

"It works, I think your hearing's finally starting to go." Matt replied, with a loving smirk.

Mrs. Dain gave the teen a glare that said **death,** while putting her hands, angrily, on her hips. "I'll have you know, _Mr. Ishida_, that my hearing, is as every bit as good as a woman of twenty." She stated defensively.

Matt laughed kindly at the offended woman. "Your hearing's not the only thing that rivals a young woman, you beauty could make any of them green with envy." The blonde stated sweetly, hoping to charm his way out of the hole he dug.

Mrs. Dain continued her show for a few more seconds, then the offense faded, as Matt offered her a puppy dogface. The woman laughed at the teen's wide eyes and pouting lip. "I see you haven't lost your charm _blondie_." She stated dryly, but with a sweet smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you, are you here to earn a couple of bucks?"

Matt grinned a the thought, remembering the many times he had come to this little dinner, worked for a day or two, then went and blew the money on CD's.

"No, actually I'm here for coffee, and he wants breakfast." The teen replied casually.

Mrs. Dain smiled pleasantly at Gabumon, then asked. "The usual?" 

The rookie digimon nodded eagerly in response.

"And black, with two raw sugars right?" she asked, looking at Matt.

"Yup." The blonde replied and the woman vanished behind the swinging door again.

Matt sighed, then placed his elbows on the counter, laying his head down on his folded arms.

"We haven't been here in a while." Gabumon mused thoughtfully. Trying not to disturb his friend.

Gentle crimson eyes drifted to the teen, whose eyes were closed and his breathing somewhat raspy.

'I can't believe he decided to come back so quickly. There was a time when he would have stayed away, a time when running from his problems was more appealing then facing them. Like when we left after that battle with Puppetmon. But now look at him, there's very little left in him that you could consider childish. He's facing his problems, and he's not turning back, even if going forward means failure and heart ache.'

The stripped digimon's head shot up, as Mrs. Dain walked through the white door, carrying a red plastic try in both hands. "One cup of coffee black, with two sugars. And a pile of pancakes, with extra butter and hot syrup."

"Thanks." Gabumon expressed, as he took his food and greedily began devouring it.

"What's the matter? He not been feeding you?" the elder woman asked with a smirk, as she watched the rookie tare at another pancake.

"We've been kind of busy." Gabumon replied with a mouth full of food.

"Poor dear, he really got it ruff. With that father of his and everything." The woman replied sympathetically, as she remembered her first encounter with the young man.

It was right after the divorce was final. Mrs. Ishida took on a lot of hours to pay for the expenses of the separation. It was a competition with his ex-wife, see who could do better without the other. Of course, neither one, ultimately they both failed, because both missed out on a great deal of their childrens' lives.

After his father began working the long hours, Matt was left alone; there was not even a baby-sitter to keep him company. So the young boy, at the age of eight, began to go out at night. There was no one to stop him, his father only called once, at night at midnight to make certain his son was in bed, and if Matt didn't pick up, it meant that he was asleep. So the blonde figured out a log time ago, that he had to learn how to be alone. How to thrive alone.

On one, of the many nights, he was wondering the streets, he found this lace. A twenty-four hour diner, the perfect place to grab a snack before he headed to the arcade.

The boy ordered a cheeseburger and fires, but when it came time to pay the bill, he didn't have enough. So he tried to slip out unnoticed, he had done it before, and it always worked, but Mrs. Dain caught him. The spunky woman put on a big show of how she was going to call the police, but the show ended when she noticed that the eight-year-old wasn't scared. He simply sat there, stared back at the woman with dead eyes, and that was when she melted. 

She struck a deal with the kid,_ come over every Saturday to wash dishes, and you can eat for free anytime you want. _The deal coast the Dain's a bit of money, not to mention some dishes, but both Mrs. And Mr. Dain felt it was worth it. Matt stayed out of trouble when he was at the diner, and he wasn't alone anymore. He also got a chance to develop his gift for cooking. It was one of the few, good, things that happened in the boy's younger years.

"No need to pity me." Matt replied within a yawn, as he sat back up and rubbed his tired eyes. "Things are getting better."

"Then how come you look worse?" the woman retorted.

Matt could think of no good answer, so he put up a front. "No need to insult me right to my face."

Mrs. Dain shook her head, displeased with the answer, but she let it go, knowing the teen well enough, to know not to push. "Drink your coffee." She ordered, a sadden tone fluttering in her voice.

Matt obeyed, ignoring the disbelief in the waitress' voice.

A few minutes slipped by in silence, as Matt finished his coffee, and Gabumon pushed his empty plat aside.

Mrs. Dain silently took the empty dishes to the back, and Matt slid off of his stool, and began to dig in his pocket, until his hand grabbed his black leather wallet.

Gabumon leapt from his seat, happy to have a full stomach, and waited patiently beside his partner.

Mrs. Dain reappeared from behind the door, then saw Matt sorting through the money in is wallet. "You still eat for free you know." She reminded with a smile.

Matt nodded without looking up, then replied. "Yeah, but the others don't, and I have a feeling you let them free load too." 

Mrs. Dain looked at the teen in shock, and Matt slowly rose his head, bearing a large grin at the sight of the elder woman's surprised face.

"How'd you know your friends stopped by?" she questions, her surprise fading, as a sly smile appeared on her face. She loved the little secrets she shared with the teen. He was, in a way, the son they never had.

"I could feel it when I walked in. my senses have sharpened quite a bit. Along with my ability to heal, and my power is greater." He bragged, knowing that the woman would gain a feeling of pride from his accomplishments. "Also there's syrup on your ceiling, and I'm pretty sure no one other than Davis, could accomplish something like that."

The woman laughed, as her eyes wandered to the sticky ceiling. "How did he manage that?" she mused aloud with a giggle.

"Oh, but it doesn't matter, all Digidestined and their partners eat for free." She explained, refusing the money the blonde was offering her.

Matt nodded putting the roll of cash in his coat pocket. He knew arguing would be useless.

Mrs. Dain was about to say something more, when suddenly another crash came from the kitchen. The old woman gave Matt a look, and the blonde nodded.

"Go." He said simply, with a smile.

"Thanks, and I'll tell him you stopped by." She replied gratefully, before running back into the kitchen.

Soon irritated yells began to ring from behind the swinging door, and Matt smiled, suppressing an amused laugh.

"We should get going, the others are still pretty near. We have time to catch up." Gabumon stated, pulling the teen's attention away from the kitchen door.

Matt nodded in agreement, and Gabumon began to head out the exit. 

Matt, reluctantly, took a few steps forward, then turned around. He eyed the counter suspiciously, then walked back to it, and quietly placed the rolled up bills on the counter. Then he smiled and turned, following Gabumon out of the comfort of the diner, and into the cold empty streets.

~*~*~

Pillars of light blue, lined a long hall, holding the crystal ceiling, with its perfect arch, high above the ground. The pillars were solid in form, to the touch they would feel like stone or metal, dense and motionless, but to the eyes, the pillars seemed to wave, like wind trapped within a glass case. The smooth, opal floor reflected the bright sun light, blaring through the, marvelously craved, crystal above.

A lone figure walked, in complete repose, down the long straight hallway. His head was kept level, bright blue eyes, focused on nothing but his destination, and a white cloak, trailed wildly behind him. 

The wind whistled loudly through the hall, with no walls on either side to stop its mad dance, it swirled around tugging playfully at the figure's clothes and brown hair. The figured walked on, unmoved by the marvels around him. The fresh thin clouds blowing past and sometimes through the hall, the golden light leaking strongly through the ceiling because of how close the sun stood. It was a sight so breath taking, that the few, who ever received the honor of walking this long but beautiful path, were nearly drawn to tears, feeling as though they were leaving the world they knew, and walking straight into heaven.

But to this man, the walk was tedious, the view monotonous, and the place a hell, which he long to escape. This was no time for him to be here. Why he had been called back still remained a mystery. He didn't understand, in a time like this, he should be back on earth. He should be there with the chosen, but Azulongmon, his Digi-god, demanded his return, and so the digital being left. He knew better then to question the mega dragon, but still he could see no reason for his return, there was no logical way for this to help their current situation.

The man stopped abruptly, then looked at the door, that was now only a few inches from his face. He hadn't remembered walking this far. His mind had been in a daze, his conscience was floating three feet above his head, and he couldn't seem to pull himself together, not after he had learned the truth. The shock of this horrific revelation, still hadn't worn off, and now, he was here, lingering behind great pearl doors. The large doors, seemed to reach into heaven, made of beautiful pearl, which was carved with expert craftsmanship. Carved along the rims of the shinny doors, was ancient Digi-code, much of which, even this man did not know. And in the center of the two doors, was carved a celestial digimon. Part of the ancient race, which had died out long before this man's creation.

The angel was strange, not like the angel digimon of today, such as Angemon and Angewomon. This celestial was small, like a child, with untamed hair, that seemed to sit where ever it wanted, thin flowing cloth was wrapped, almost carelessly, around the angel's body, and large, white wings sprouted from its back.

The man shook his head, dragging his attention back to the task at hand. He didn't know who the little angel digimon was, or why Azulongmon chose to have it, carved upon the doors to his courtroom, but still, the carving was there, just as it always had been. The man didn't know much about the ancient race, or Azulongmon's connection to them, so he simply ignored the carving. He pushed the questions out of his mind, knowing it was none of his concern.

'I should go in.' he reminded himself, after he realized how long he had been standing, staring at the pearl doors.

With a heavy sigh, he braced himself for the bad news he knew was coming,then he struggled to push one of the great doors open, before walking timidly into the courtroom.

The courtroom sparkled with cleanliness. The round room, with its many seats, of all sizes, stood before the man with its usual greatness. The intimidation was immediately there, the feeling of childlike inadequacy, in a world not meant for error or weakness, overpowered him again. He gulped, like always, finding some comfort in his routine, as he stepped quietly into the large circle, which made up the courtroom's floor. He looked up habitably, taking note again that there was no ceiling, and that the room was actually more like an ancient Roman coliseums than a courtroom. The floor was perfectly laid with polished rock and minerals, making out a very detailed pattern. And there, standing in the wide openness of the great room stood the man, alone, and feeling completely exposed.

"So you decided to come back after all." A deep and friendly voice boomed, scolding the man a bit on his reluctance to follow orders.

The man quivered slightly, not knowing what to expect, he had never once been rebellious to the great mega, and he was certain that the punishment for his behavior would be dire. "Forgive me Azulongmon, I don't know what I was thinking." The man apologized humbly.

Azulongmon chuckled softly at the man's feelings of shame. "Genai, I am not angry with you. I can find no fault with you questioning my orders. I know how greatly you care about the Chosen Children, and I know how difficult this revelation has been on you." The mega explained kindly.

Genai refused to lift his head, like a shameful child, he hide his face from his father figure as he responded. "Nothing condones me questioning you Master, your wisdom and authority far surpasses my own, and it was wrong for me to have doubted you." 

"I do not want a legion of mindless servants Genai." Azulongmon stated, striking something in the man, which caused him to lift his head up a bit, revealing his sky blue eyes. "But this does not matter now, you came back, and that is all I need. Now we must concern ourselves with the more crucial matter. Lord Yamato."

Genai gritted his teeth at the sound of the Digidestined of Friendship's name. "He is not the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. He is a misguided Digidestined. They deceived him somehow." The man stated bitterly, his anger rising.

"Are you certain of that?" Azulongmon question simply.

Genai looked up, confused by the mega's question. "He is not evil." The man replied rationally.

"No" Azulongmon spoke, his voice sounding miles away, as his mind drifted back to the night before. "No he is not, but Piedmon was not wicked either, at least not at first." 

"Azulongmon what do you mean?" Genai asked, now his anger had dissolved into curiosity.

"That is not important at the moment." The dragon replied evenly. "All that matters now, is Yamato and Deamon. They will face each other today. It was meant to be. The final test that fate will place before the boy, before his time comes." The mega stated, more to himself then the digital man below him.

"Master? What do you mean, the final test before his time comes?" 

The mega looked down upon the waiting guardian, then smiled. "It is something beyond you my friend, perhaps even beyond me, for it was written long before my time." The dragon replied, but only received a puzzling look from his waiting friend.

"You will find, Genai, that in every story, there are two parts, the beginning and the end, everything in between, is simply the bridge that connects the beginning to its end. You would believe that once Deamon is destroyed, it would be the end, but this is not so. Yamato's victory over this demon, is only the beginning. Though I fear that what lies after the beginning, the bridge that will lead to the end, may be too much for this youth to bare." 

Genai didn't understand, and again he felt like a lost child, left out because he was seen as too young for the heavy burden of knowledge. All the digital being could tell, was that something, which has existed long before he walked the digital world, was playing out, and that, somehow, Yamato was a key part of this strange mystery.

"Master should I return to help the Digidestined?" Genai questioned softly, as he noticed the clouded look in the dragon's eyes.

Azulongmon blinked, clearing his sight, as he returned his attention to the man below.

"No Genai, your part in this chapter is over. But don't be discouraged, your role in this story has barely begun." The mega replied kindly.

Genai noded in respect, knowing that he had been dismissed, then turned and left, behind the pear doors.

"And if all goes as it should, my part in the story, is coming to an end." The mega spoke to the wind, letting the breeze morn for his sorrow, as he knew, there was no escaping what was meant to be.

~*~*~

"Kari, what are you looking at?" Yolie asked curiously, as she adverted her gaze to the sky.

Kari tore her stare away from the heavens, and looked at her friend with concern shinning in her ruby eyes. "I don't like the look of those clouds, they seem so unnatural." She explained with apprehension.

"They look pretty normal to me." The elder girl replied, while flipping a few strands of her long violet hair behind her shoulders. "I think you're just nervous, but there's no need in turning nothing into something." She explained kindly, not enjoying the idea that even the clouds could pose a threat to them.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The Child of Light reluctantly agreed, as she stole a quick glance back up at the ashen clouds, creeping ominously above.

"Hey, you guys can girl talk later, we need to head back to the elementary school." Tai shouted to the two girls meandering behind the rest of the group.

"Actually Tai, there really is no reason to go back to the school, we've accomplished all we need to there. Now we should focus our attention, on setting up some sort of defense around this parameter." Izzy advised the leader, as his coal back eyes scanned over their current location, learning, both the flaws and the advantages, of fighting in the open streets.

"Okay, so how exactly do we set up a defense? Do we dig trenches or something." Joe asked with a defeated sigh.

"No, that would be like digging our own graves." Tai replied bemused in their hopeless situation.

"One things for certain, the attack will occur wherever we are at." Ken announced sternly, his hatred for Deamon shinning through his shyness around the older Digidestined.

"Yeah, I agree." Izzy confirmed, as he sat down upon the curve and opened up his yellow and white, pineapple laptop.

Joe sighed forlornly, then flopped down on the bus bench, behind the curve ,where Izzy sat furiously typing away at his computer. "It just all seems so wrong." The doctor to be, expressed under his breath, but his efforts to keep his thoughts to himself failed, as Sora heard the whispered words.

"What seems wrong?" she questioned gently, as she sat down beside the navy hair boy.

"Everything. I just don't get it. Who's really pulling the strings here? I mean the same thing that made Matt a Digidestined, was the same thing that made him the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. And now even Genai's confused by all of this. If he doesn't know what's going on, then how will we ever figure it out!" the teen announced in woe and confusion.

"And I'll bet you're allergic to all of this confusion huh." Sora replied humorously.

Joe only offered the red head a look which said 'That's not funny' then continued. "It's not a joke, how can we know when, and how hard Deamon will strike?"

"We don't" Tai broke in, his voice stern and steady, as a leader's should be. "That is why we have to be ready for anything."

The others nodded solemnly; knowing that now was the time to get ready, that this attack wouldn't be like the other. Deamon's troops already destroyed the city, now all that was left to brake was them. And so they put their game faces on, ready to press forward and meet the challenge, as they always have in the past.

~*~*~

She ran over the buildings gracefully. Her speed made her look like an untamable flash of yellow and white, leaping over alleys in a wild, but dignified, race to the meeting point. It was a game, a joviality race, for a being that knew only harsh competition. 

The generals parameters had intersected, and when they all ended up at the same building, their last building, they agreed, a race. A joyous test of speed and skill, and, of course, she had agreed without question. They would race back to the meeting point, where she was certain, her Lord and the General Gabumon, would be waiting patiently for their full report.

Now her speed picked up, as the location drew near. She leapt gleeful on air conditioner, the wind brushing gently through her shinny coat of fur, and picked up even more speed. Now it was just below her, the building she raced freely upon now, overshadowed the bus bench, where they were to meet. All she could think about was her glorious victory. She had no problem with Sorcermon, he was a digimon of knowledge, a league alien to her, but the thrill of beating Ladydevimon, another digimon of battle, rushed through her data fueling her with adrenaline. 

So in one beautiful flip, she flew from the building, and soared to the streetlight, six stories below her.

She landed silently, her eyes shut, as her paws softly found their place on the post, but then she opened her sharp blue eyes, and almost let out a shuddering gasp. Their below her, were the Digidestined, all huddled in a circle, speaking quietly amongst one another.

She knew that at this point she should leave, all memory of her faultless victory fading from her mind, but she had received orders to come here. She shook her head, going over the possibilities. Yamato would want her to leave the Digidestined alone right? But, at the same time, she had been specifically ordered to come here, and maybe her Lord had met up with his fellow Digidestined, and sent them here as well.

But if that were the case, he would be here. She was confused, not certain of what to do. Finally she decided to remain for just a few more seconds, maybe her Lord would arrive soon. If not, then she would leave and try to locate the other two generals, which she reminded herself with pride, were still several blocks away.

Her placid, blue eyes, narrowed upon the young blonde in the group. She had been ordered to protect him before, and in that time, her mind was solely on her mission. She never stopped and realized just how great the resemblance between the younger boy and her Lord truly was. They both had amazing blue eyes, that shown with the strength of a brilliant flame. And they had fair skin, with amazing locks of golden hair. But, despite the similarities the rookie digimon was also able to see the differences. The way this young boy's eyes shone brightly with hope, and the way her Lord's eyes glistened with and icy sorrow, that froze over the windows into his heart, making it difficult to understand his true feelings.

'I wish you all knew young children, especially you Takure, how deeply my Lord's love runs for you.' She thought sadly, her mind losing track of both time and her location.

"Hey you!" the spunky voice shouted, directly to the fox digimon, resting upon the streetlight.

Renamon cursed under her breath. 'I forgot about how keen the Gatomon senses are.' She scolded herself, angry with her own stupidity, then turned her attention down to the Chosen Children and their digimon partners.

The moment Renamon's present's was discovered, the Digidestined fled from the vulnerable position directly under the streetlight, and dashed to the center of the road.

"What are you doing up there?!" Gatomon continued, as she leapt from her perch on Kari's shoulder, and moved down into a defensive position.

"Spying I'll bet." Cody stated with rage.

Distress rose in Renamon's mind, as she stared into the distrusting eyes of the Digidestined. 'Spying? It does look like I was spying.' Again she scolded herself; this was no time for this sort of mistakes. 

"Well?" Tai demanded, a bit calmer then the other accusers.

Renamon's first instinct was to run, but she reminded herself, that her Lord was trying to mend his relationship with his fellow Digidestined, and her actions already reflected poorly upon her Lord.

"Forgive me. I was not spying." Renamon stated, her voice smooth, but her words pleading.

"Then why were you sitting there watching us? I don't think it was because of the view!" Gatomon shouted, still on guard.

'How do I respond to that?' the rookie thought, desperation clouding her mind. She was a warrior, not a diplomat.

Quickly the fox digimon leapt off of the streetlight, standing in a defensive position, in case the Digidestined didn't believe her.

The digimon must have seen her move as a threat, because they immediately moved in front of their partners, their eyes narrowing upon the rookie digimon, still waiting for her response to their accusations.

She had none, Renamon could think of no way to respond, she was certain, that not matter what she said, they wouldn't believe her anyway. 'This is bad, if we fight amongst one another, then Deamon will have a greater opportunity to defeat us.'

He floated along, flipping thoughtfully through and old and dusty book. "_'Elves and Dragons! I says to him. Cabbages and potatoes are better for me and you. Don't go getting mixed up in the business of your betters, or you'll land in trouble too big for you, I says to him. And I might say it to others,_ he added with a look at the stranger and the miller.'" Sorcermon continued to float along, lost deeply in the old book he had found, lying amongst the shattered glass of the bookstore's window.

"The Digital World needs more good literature like this." He mused with a smile, as he flipped to another page on elves. "I never knew the real world had such a fascinating history. Hobbits, elves, dwarfs." He stated, as he flipped over the book to look at the cover. "Fiction?" he shouted in dismay, according to the printing, this book was a fairytale. Sorcermon shook his head, and then looked scornfully at the word _fiction_. He didn't believe it, it had to be some kind of a lie. "There's no way this is fiction. It's far too convincing." He announced, his voice final and stern.

Then it was decided, the book was not fiction. So he would take it back with him, and read over it closely, learning the many ways of the strange races, written so elegantly within these pages.

Sorcermon continued to float, his attention having been distracted from the race, he was suppose to be participating in, and diverted entirely, to his new found treasure. He continued to flip through pages, the Gray Wizard, quickly becoming an idle of his, that was, until angered voices drew his attention away from his beloved book.

"Then why were you sitting there watching us? I don't think it was because of the view!"

Worry overtook the wizard digimon, as he watched the Gatomon threaten his fellow general. He didn't know what had happened before his arrival, but he was certain that it wasn't good. Renamon stood on her guard, while the Digidestined's partners moved in, minacious in their every step.

"Renamon!" Sorcermon shouted, bringing the advancing digimon to a halt and pulling their attention away from the rookie digimon. 'Whatever you do, try to resolve this peacefully.' He repeated over and over in his head.

"Another one!" exclaimed Sora in fear.

The Digidestined didn't know what to expect, they didn't know for certain that these digimon were not enemies, and Renamon had been watching them.

"Please we mean no harm." Sorcermon begged for the children's trust, but the group still glared at him coldly.

"Then why was your friend spying on us?" Agumon demanded harshly.

Sorcermon looked to the fox digimon in confusion.

__

Spying on them?

I was not spying. This is where we were suppose to meet. I hesitated too long on deciding if I should leave or stay.

I understand, but now we have a problem. 

You should try to contact Yamato.

I've tried, something is wrong, he's either too far out of range, or some force is preventing me from getting through.

"Stop staring into thin air and answer us!" Davis cried a bit annoyed by being ignored.

By now Sorcermon had moved beside Renamon, and both waited for an attack to come, certain that it would. The thought of running never occurred to them, it simply was not in their nature, and so they never considered it as an option.

The Digidestined were now growing uneasy. They couldn't understand why the two digimon were waiting, the only answer they could find, was that they were waiting for reinforcements. 

"Are we going to have to make you answer our question!" Gatomon shouted, hoping her threat would generate a response.

Immediately Renamon shifted into a defense, then replied. "Is that some kind of a challenge kitty-cat?" she sneered.

Now it was too much, the tension was too thick, and both sides were aching from waiting for the other to attack.

The Digidestined's digimon readied to attack, and the Nightmare Soldiers did the same.

Muscles tightened and gazes hardened into cold stares. They were expecting a battle, and the stress of that weight brought them to this. The need for some satisfaction. The need to destroy something that opposed them, even if it was not, the thing that their hatred was truly focused on.

They readied, and the attacks were built up ready to be sent flying upon their opponents.

The attacks were sent and they crashed into one another with a startling bang. The ground shook, and more attacks were released.

The Digidestined's digimon out numbered the Nightmare Soldiers, but the soldiers had more experience, making it a fairly even match.

Gatomon, Patamon, Hawkmon, and Biyomon went after Renamon, while the rest charged at Sorcermon. 

The attacks were powerful and accurate. Renamon released her Diamond Storm attack upon Biyomon, sending her flying into Sora's arms, but Patamon attacked the fox digimon with a strong Boom Bubble from the side.

Sorcermon's higher level, and variety of attacks, served him well against the numbers opposing him, however the battle was too fast past to put together any spells, so he relied totally on his attacks. 

Agumon shot up a Pepper Breath attack, and Sorcermon sliced through the attack with his staff. Then Tentomon hit him with a Super Shocker attack, throwing him off balance a little, but he managed to regain his stance, and continued to take and deliver attacks.

Scarlet eyes watched the scene from a distance. A blackened body concealed by the dense shadows around it, hovered high in the. A once unquestionable love for battle, for the smell of freshly spilt blood, dissolved with the grief of this sight. Those who should stand united, were now placed against one another. Fighting as though this were the battle they had been waiting for.

She knew it wasn't true, that they weren't enemies, but the waiting had made them itchy. They were warriors, both sides, and waiting for your enemy to attack, does something to you. The anxiety created by waiting, could drive you into extreme measure, making it so you lash out at the first person to push your buttons. Now these creatures inability to control themselves, could very well destroy all hope for victory over the true enemy. And if it continued, all hope for peace would soon be gone.

She thought about doing something, she was the commanding General, she could order the others to end this ridiculous brawl, but she knew the very sight of her, would only cause greater problems. The Digidestined wouldn't see a general, who simply wants to serve her Lord, in hope of bringing peace to her world, they would see a fallen angel, a demon, a monster. 

"I must find Matt." She decided finally, then stretched her long black wings, and soared further down, scanning the streets for her Lord.

~*~*~

A carefree laugh flew from the boy's lips, as he looked down at his partner, strolling merrily beside him.

"I can't believe you would say that." He cried in mock disappointment, but still chuckling a bit at the other's words.

"I only speak the truth my friend. Boy bands do sound like Yokomon." The stripped creature replied, pretending to sound like some short of holy man.

Matt laughed harder, then replied. "Well you better not tell Davis that." He smirked slyly.

"No?" Gabumon question, as if it were impossible for the boy in question, to enjoy boy bands. 

"Maybe not anymore, but you no what they say, old habits die hard." He announced, grinning at the thought of Davis and his Backstreet Boys impression.

"Well, at least he doesn't wear a pink apron." Gabumon mused aloud, while flashing Matt and evil grin.

"Hey! I'll have you know, that it takes a real man to wear and apron." He replied, pretending to be offended, but still not being able to contain his laughter. "Besides I like pink, it makes me feel pretty." He stated with a smile.

Gabumon laughed, knowing he wasn't the first to call Matt on the lacy pink cloth, but also knowing, that the teen probably would have gotten a new apron by now, if it weren't for the fact that people teased him about the pink one. 

Matt decided that he'd show the world he could wear pink and still be a rebel. 

"What about you and your obsession with that coat." Matt asked, glancing out of the concern of his eye to see if he struck something with his companion.

"Don't go there." Gabumon warned playfully, and Matt let it go.

"Matt!" 

Immediately the two heads shot up at the sound of Ladydevimon's voice.

Their mood quickly shifted from one a carefree, to one of concern, when they saw the eagerness on the fallen angel's face.

"They are fighting, right now, only a few blocks away." She panted out quickly. The worry and her frantic search stealing her composure.

Despite the demon's fluttered words, Matt understood instantly, and he quickly gave Gabumon a look.

The rookie digimon nodded in agreement, and with a flash of light and a screeching ring, Gabumon had digi-volved into the massive Garurumon.

Matt leapt effortlessly on the champion digimon, then looked to Ladydevimon.

"Come also, this needs to be resolved now." Matt stated, knowing that the fallen angel was reluctant to encounter the Digidestined due to her type.

The maiden demon nodded without question, and followed as the champion digimon took off with speed rivaling a jet.

~*~*~

The battle went on. Agumon was forced to digi-volve, in order to keep up the fight, but stil,l neither side was winning.

The Digidestined cheered their partners on from the sidelines, while silently questioning if this was the right thing.

Sorcermon realest a powerful attack, sending Greymon to the ground where he dedigi-vovled back into Agumon.

Instantly, Tai was at his fallen partner's side, his mind racing. He didn't know what to do, he didn't want this fight to continue, but now it seems to be unstoppable. How could they possibly end something, when they weren't even certain of how it began. And now, everything was out of control.

"Nightmare Soldiers stand down!" 

A voice shouted, braking through the clouds of anger and stress, fogging both the Nightmare Soldiers and the Digidestined's mind.

The attacks stopped, and attention diverted to the three figures standing on the outside of the battlefield.

Matt stood, still looking over the scene with a surprising apathy. That was until he saw just how bad the fight had been. Renamon was hurt, clutching her side, as through her ribs had been bruised, maybe even broken. Tai was holding Agumon up, who had gashes on his face and around his sparkling green eyes. And the rest of the digimon looked battered and bruised.

Garurumon snorted a bit, disgusted by the sight. This was no time to be fighting pettily with one another. 

And Ladydevimon stood beside Matt, she too wore a mask of apathy, but it was slowly dissolving into affliction. 

Renamon and Sorcermon suddenly felt ashamed. Humbly they approached their Lord, with their heads hung low in disgrace.

"We'll discuss this later." Matt stated, his voice even, not the harsh tone that the two Generals had expected.

Matt knew that there was no one to blame, and he felt, that if the fault lied with anyone it was himself.

The Generals lined up behind Matt, Renamon hiding her pain behind a noble face, and waited for further orders.

Matt looked on at his fellow Digidestined, his once emotionless façade fading to that of grief, a pleading look, which begged forgiveness. Timidly he took a step forward, waiting to see how his friends would respond, when nothing happened, he took another step, and then another, each bolder than the next. Once he was at a closer distance to his friends, he stopped and waited. 

The Digidestined stared at their returned comrade, a mixture of surprise, uncertainty, and joy, sweeping over their faces. He came back, but that didn't matter, if he didn't come back for the right reasons.

TK was the first of the Digidestined to approach his brother. He looked on at the man before him, seeing something new in his brother's features, a new strength, that had not been there before.

"Matt…" he uttered the name softly, afraid that if he spoke too loudly, he would wake up, and find this all a taunting dream.

Matt's eyes softened at the sight of his unsure brother. Unshed tears began to glisten in his crystal eyes, threatening to spill over in a river of joy. Without thinking, Matt reached for his younger brother, and pulled him into a tight hug. The tears now fell, streaking his pale cheeks, as he whispered in a wrenched voice, "I'm so sorry TK… I'm so sorry I left."

The Child of Hope was shocked, when his brother pulled him in for the desperate hug. He had never expected such an emotional show from his older brother, or such a pleading apology. But once the shock faded ,TK too, embraced his brother, returning the hug with as much eagerness as the elder blonde. "I'm sorry too Matt… I'm sorry I was so mad." The younger boy whispered back, every ounce of distrust he once held, fading into a forgotten memory. 

After a moment, the two brothers slowly pulled away, and looked into each other's eyes. The blue orbs so alike in shade, but so different in expressions, were now both shinning with relief and joy.

The other Digidestined watched the scene with the brothers closely. None had expected Matt to just humble himself, and beg for forgiveness, and so the show still seemed unreal.

Tai was about to speak; hoping to put an end to the awkward silence, when an ailing groan, escaped Agumon's quivering lips. The rookie digimon was hurt internally, injuries that none of the Digidestined could reach, let alone heal. 

Tai looked at his partner, desperation fogging his eyes, as the orange reptile's breathing went from raspy, to painful gulps, as if he were struggling to breath.

"Joe!" Tai cried helplessly for the Child of Reliability.

Immediately Joe was kneeling at Tai's side, looking over the rookie digimon with, concerned ebony eyes. A Shaky hand reached up, and adjusted a pair of thin rimed glasses, as it always did when the teen was nervous. 

"It looks pretty bad Tai," Joe explained sadly, "There's some internal damage, I don't have the equipment here to deal with that… and I'm not even sure you **can** perform surgery on a digimon."  


Matt's face grew pale for a moment, at the thought of his best friend loosing his partner, but then he regained his composure. Determinedly, he whipped away the streaks that stained his face, then gave his brother a loving smile, before walking past him, to the two teens, kneeling beside the rookie digimon.

Guilt began to grow in both Sorcermon and Renamon, but the cause of the reptile's injuries had long left their Lord's mind. In his thoughts the battle never took place, all that mattered to him, was saving the digimon's life.

Tai and Joe looked up watching the blonde curiously, as he slowly knelled down. His crystal eyes never once met the other two's; he kept his focus slowly on Agumon. Gently he laid a cool hand on the digimon's forehead. Instantly the reptile stopped moaning and fighting, and his breathing began to even out a bit.

Tai watched in wonderment, as Matt tenderly stroked the rookie's forehead for a moment, bring a sense of peace to the injured creature. The blonde's attention then shifted to Agumon's chest. Dark bruises painted the orange dinosaur's chest purple and black, and Matt was certain, that this was part of the problem. 

After looking over the lesions closely, Matt lifted his hand, signaling to the digimon, lined up behind him.

At his signal, Sorcermon stepped forward, floating slowly towards the kneeling group.

Upon seeing Sorcermon's approach, the other Digidestined's digimon immediately jumped in front of the group, blocking off the wizard's passage.

Matt saw the move, and knew what caused it, Sorcermon was the one that caused the injuries in the first place. "Please, he can help." Matt begged his best friend softly, looking him in the eyes for the first time.

Tai looked back cautiously, not certain, but the pleading in the blonde's eyes eventually melted his uncertainty, and he nodded, signaling the digimon to let the sorcerer through. 

Sorcermon knelt down slowly beside the ailing digimon, his eyes narrowed on the wounds.

"What's wrong?" Tai asked desperately.

"It seems that one of his ribs has punctured his right lung." The champion digimon offered his diagnosis casually, as though he were simply chit chatting.

Tai got a little angry at how lightly the wizard was treating the situation, but before he could explode, Matt spoke up, putting an end to the tension.

"Can you heal him?" he asked, his eyes still upon Agumon, he too sounded calm, but not nearly as comfortable.

"Your injuries were far worse, and I healed you," the wizard replied with a smile.

"Injuries? What injuries?" Tai asked in surprise, as he looked over the blonde, trying to see if he was hurt.

Matt began to feel uncomfortable, and immediately changed the subject. "It was nothing, don't worry about it, let's just focus on Agumon."

And the attention was back upon the rookie dinosaur. Before anything else could be debated Sorcermon went to work.

The wizard lifted his hands, moving his fingers into several different signs, while softly chanting a spell, of only a few ancient words. A soft lapis lazuli light engulfed Agumon. The light was warm, and soothing, and in its splendor, the digimon's injuries healed. The bruises faded, returning his scales to their natural orange. His breathing completely evened out, and the scrapes sealed closed and disappeared. 

Tai looked at his partner, his breath caught in his lungs, as he waited to see what would happen next. To his joy, Agumon yawned loudly then slowly opened his eyes. "Agumon!" Tai shouted in both relief, as he jumped on the digimon with a tight hug.

"Ah Tai,… I can't breath!" the reptile choked out.

Tai released his hold on his partner, then turned to Sorcermon. At first his face was stern with apathy, but that quickly faded into a grateful smile. "Thanks, I owe you." 

Sorcermon only nodded, then stood back up.

The others followed the wizard digimon's lead and stood also. Matt and Sorcermon moved back a bit, until they met with the waiting Nightmare Soldiers, while the Digidestined lined up together, watching them closely.

Matt soon grew tense in the silence, so he decided to speak. "Everyone I would like you to meet my Generals." He announced, not being able to fully hide his apprehension. "This is Renamon, my General of Security and Scouting missions." He explained, while waving a hand in the fox digimon's direction.

Renamon bowed, as she was being introduced. 

"Sorcermon is my Political Advisor." Matt went on, as Sorcermon nodded his head. "And Ladydevimon is my commanding General. She has been with me since day one, and I owe her my life." He stated, while offering the fallen angel an affection look. He knew how worried the ultimate was about this meeting, so he wanted her to know, that no matter how the others responded to her, his feeling of friendship would not change.

A multitude of distrusting eyes fell upon Ladydevimon, causing the demon to feel totally alone. 

"You chose a Ladydevimon for your general?" Sora spat the words out, as though they were poisons.

A few of the other children began whispering amongst themselves, while casting the lady demon disgusted looks. 

TK looked at his brother, trying to understand why he would work with a creature, born of the powers of darkness. He studied the older boy closely, seeing the disappointment in his eyes at the other's reaction to Ladydevimon. It was true, he didn't trust demon digimon, but he did trust his brother, and he too could tell that there was something different about this fallen angel, something that set her apart. Her scarlet eyes glowed with warmth, though at the responses her presence was receiving, this warmth, was slowly turned into a look of sorrow. She wanted these children to accept her, but they didn't. And she knew that their distrust would put a wall between herself, and her Lord, which was something she couldn't even bare the thought of.

Suddenly something stirred in the Child of Hope, a great sympathy for the despised being, and he saw what his brother saw. Another creature, hated because of what she was, not because of who she was. And suddenly he felt his distrust dissolve into admiration, for a creature that would risk ridicule, for the happiness of her friend.

TK took two strong steps forwards, waiting for a second, then continued to walk, moving past the line of Digidestined. His fellow Digidestined, stared at him with confusion, but made no move to stop him. Once he was standing in front of Ladydevimon, he stopped, and looked up at the tall, slender maiden.

"You saved my brother's life?" he questioned, his voice stern, demanding a response.

Ladydevimon nodded humbling, knowing that she was on trial, then responded. "In a way we saved each other." She explained, while flashing Matt a quick smile, which was returned instantly.

"Well we all know that stubborn idiot can use all the help he can get." The boy expressed with a smile, earning him an offended "hey" from his older brother. "Matt said he owes you his life," the younger boy continued, more serious then before. "Then I owe you mine too, I would die without him." He explained, as a smile, directed towards the demon, stretched on his face. 

Ladydevimon smiled, feeling great joy at having this boy's acceptance.

"Your brother has told me a lot about you, I am pleased to finally meet you." She stated with a smile.

"He has? Well, I can tell you a few stories about him." The blonde stated, immediately going on the defense.

"Like what?" Matt question with an arrogant smirk.

TK smiled slyly, putting an end to his brother's show. "Like that year at the circus, when you threw a big fit because you were scared of the clowns, and you started an elephant stampede." He replied, with a smile, mocking his brother's arrogant side.

Matt's face immediately turned an embarrassed shade of red. The General and TK both laughed as the teen scowled. "Those clowns were scary okay!" he protested, in his own defense, "And besides, his balloon animals were terrible, his giraffe looked like a Monocromon."

They laughed a bit more, at the, now pouting, blonde, that was until another voice put an end to their festivities.

"How can you guys act like nothing is wrong?" Cody question, a little angry with how quickly TK rushed into his brother's arms.

"Yeah, why are we suppose to trust you, after you lied to us?" Sora added still worried that this could be a trap.

"And if you are on our side, then how come Renamon was spying on us?" Gatomon demanded.

Matt decided to ignore the first two questions, and addressed the last. "That is a good question." He replied with a kind smile, then turned a questioning gaze towards the fox digimon. 

"I was not spying, I arrived here before the other, and was not certain if I should wait for you, or leave. In my hesitation, I let my guard down, and Gatomon sensed my presence." She explained to her Lord apologetically. "Forgive me Digidestined, I did not mean to make it seem as though I were spying on you."

"We were suppose to meet here." Matt explained, hoping to clear up some of the confusion.

"That reminds me! We never finished the race." Ladydevimon stated thoughtfully.

"What do you mean we never finished?" Renamon question irritably. "I finished and I won." 

"I call interference, therefore, we need a rematch" Sorcermon stated with a smile.

"No interference, I won!" Renamon argued.

"Oh, revile in your small victories, Renamon, for next time, I will beat you." Ladydevimon challenged with a smile.

"My book!" Sorcermon exclaimed, as he looked around the area frantically. When he spotted it, he rose his hand and a white light engulfed the old book, lifting it into the air and bring it, straight into the waiting wizards arms. "Gandalf the Gray's got nothing on me." He announced proudly, earning him confused looks from his fellow generals.

Matt shook his head, then rubbed the side of his noise, right by his eyes, as if soothing away a stressful headache.

The Digidestined and their partners, were staring at the once aggressive digimon, with dumfounded looks.

"You guys act like children." Yolie stated dryly.

"Yes they do, but usually it's when nobody is looking." Matt stated, while flashing his generals an irritated glare.

Immediately the digimon straightened up, and the blonde turned his attention back to the Digidestined, ignoring the amused chuckling emanating form behind him, where Garurumon stood.

Matt was about to plead for forgiveness from his still bewildered friends, when a sound diverted all eyes to the sky above.

The sky cracked, screeching in pain from abuse, and the dark storm clouds circled above, like vultures waiting to feed upon the dead carcasses of those standing below. The sun, once shinning with a brilliant golden light, was over shadowed by a gristly eclipse. The light was held prisoner by the shadowing moon, forbidden to share its warmth with the helpless world below. 

The few streetlights still working began to flicker and buzz, defiantly fighting back the force, which threatened to burn them out, unfortunately the force was too powerful, and after another painful buzz, the lights burned out, and the land laid in darkness.

The air grew cool, no longer receiving warmth from the sun, and a thin silver mist, rose from the ground, settling eerily over the streets. 

They were left in darkness, in the fear of not knowing what was before or behind them. The Digidestined began to fidget anxiously, grasping one anther's hands for comfort. But the Nightmare Soldiers remained still. Their keen senses, allowed them to know what was occurring around them, even if they could not see.

Matt took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. Instinctively his hand lay upon his chest, feeling the ring hanging on its silver chain, beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. An ominous feeling spread over him, as it felt like time itself had stopped. This victory would come at a price, he knew it, and he couldn't help but wonder, what would be taken away from him by this evil.

He closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to take over, no attack had come yet, and the world laid in complete darkness, causing some to forget what light looked like. The chill in the air, reached his bones, causing him to shiver, but he pushed it away, focusing on the movement around him. He couldn't see, but he knew something was happening. The very shadows around him were moving, like demonic spirits leaping wildly in a graveyard, he could feel them around him, and yet they did not attack.

The sky cracked again, it sounded as though the very air was being shattered like glass, and he could feel its pain. The clouds above, swirled in a crazed dance, and then the darkness changed. What was once totally black, began to take on tents of deep blue and purple. Then the silver mist around them became visible again, as though the fog was emitting some short of dim light.

Matt could see now. The Digidestined stood together, frightened but steady, with their partner before them, ready to defend them with their lives. His generals, including Garurumon, filed out around the children in the center, ready to protect their Lord and his most precious treasures. TK still stood beside his brother, his face was set, and Matt was surprised to see no trace of fear in the young feature. 

Then he looked up, looked to the darkness above, where the sky still moaned in agony, and now he felt it. The power, the evil. Darkness had fallen upon his world, and now his greatest struggle would begin.

In a soft certain voice, he whispered the only words that came to mind, as he looked upon the shadows that had come to destroy him.

"He's here."

~*~*~

Okay, you're probably wondering why I made the Nightmare Soldiers act so goofy, well the thing is, I wanted to show how close they were, and give them a more human side. They're not just warriors, but friends, each with different personalities and likes. I also wanted to show how Matt, short of, plays a big brother role for all of them, which shows just how much he cares about them. 

For those of you wondering, the book Sorcermon was reading is _The Lord of The Ring_, I just couldn't resist. 

Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will contain bloodshed and battles… oh and please send feedback.


	16. Reaping of The Scarlet Immortal

A/N: well we are nearing the finish line ladies and gentlemen, after this, only one more chapter. Anyway, I want to give you all, a little head's up about this chapter, it gets pretty goring, so if you have a problem with fairly descriptive and brutal murders, then you might want to just skim through this part. I really don't think it's too bad, I could have done a lot better in making this part really profound, especially since there is so many elements involved in this part, but I did my best. So please read on, and enjoy.

Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me, because if it did I won't just go, "Oh hey, we're not making enough money off of this, let's just stop making Digimon all together, and official destroy the Digital World." (yes I am mad about them ending Digimon forever)

~*~*~

Dense, menacing clouds, once ashen in color, reflected the dire shades of the grotesque eclipse. Tents of dark blue and deep purple merged with the darkest of black, causing the circling clouds to resemble a diabolical kaleidoscope. Vile shadows descended from the heavens, coming to claim the innocent world lying helplessly at their feet.

The sky cried out in agony as it was brutally ripped apart. The swirling clouds slowly thinned and spread apart, like the parting of the Red Sea, and there in the midst of this clearing, was a hideous rift. The sky had been torn; a sticky mist crept from the rift, as though some wicked force summoned it forward. Darkness radiated from the rift, draining out the little bits of starlight that twinkled in the opening of the barrier of clouds.

It moved about them freely, completely unopposed, the shadows and the mist. The elements had been manipulated, corrupted, into something threatening, and to some the feelings were all too familiar. The feeling that the darkness itself was watching you, that the mist was sent to suffocate you. There was darkness where their should be light, and this played into the growing fear of those waiting, gazing at the show above with amazement and apprehension. 

Crystal eyes stared up at the show with stern conviction. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The beast, which has tried, for so long, to take his life, had come to destroy him in a chariot of obstruction and splendor. The demon would reach down its clawed hand, stained with the blood of so many, and choke the life, slowly, out of its struggling victim. That is how the shadows and mist were certain it would play out, but the teen, waiting quietly below the shifting elements, saw it another way. The demon would reach his hand out, ready to grasp its victim, and its victim could cut his hand off.

The feelings of dread spread in the waiting. The monster knew that this show was not necessary, and that the waiting was simply a part of the show, but it did not matter. The cruel abuse upon the quivering sky, and the drawn out appearance, served their purpose. The precious little children, waiting helplessly below, were now filled with fear. Their very eyes dulled with anxiety, and now the beast was ready. The fear was instilled, and in their frantic minds was chaos. Foolish moves will play out from these children; they will be ruled by their own fear, making it easy for the rightful ruler of all worlds to crush them swiftly.

And then it happened, the waiting ended, and shadows emerged from the rift in the sky. Tension grew, as those watching saw the creature, made of solid darkness, crawl upon the sky itself. They grasped at thin air, using their hold on the sky to pull themselves completely out of the rift. Then they scurried and scattered upon the clearing in the clouds. Crawling vertically and horizontally, as though the sky were a piece of solid glass.

Matt looked on the scene, suddenly feeling nervous. His fist clench tightly, as he watched the shadows slowly creep down in a straight line upon the sky. A multitude of shadows filed out of the rift, like ants fleeing from an anthill.

"There's so many." TK stated in a daze, mesmerized by the umbra creatures.

Matt heard his brother's fearful words, and slowly took three steps back, until he was lined with his brother. He said nothing, but he knew his presence would offer some comfort.

"What are they?" Tai questioned softly, as he left the line of Digidestined, and stood beside the two blondes.

Matt looked at the creatures in bafflement. These digimon were indistinguishable, the opacity cloaked them well from the eyes of their opponents. "I don't…" Matt ended his words short, as his eyes narrowed upon the vile creatures. 

Three of them had crawled down the sky and now met the pavement. 

Matt grabbed TK and Tai's wrist and jerked them back, pulling them to the rest of the Digidestined. Once all of the children were together, he returned his attention to the creatures in front of him.

The shadows wiggled and hissed at their prey, and then the adumbration lifted, the cloak faded, and the creatures were exposed.

Matt's eyes widened in fear, the shock of what the digimon were sped up his pulse, causing the blood to pound loudly in his ear. He saw it now, the twisted figures, the decrepit demon wings, the bulky and fairly large sized bodies, and the eyes; powerful and hideous, placed crudely in the center of the creatures' repulsive bodies.

"Deathmon…" the blonde whispered once his mind had processed the information about the creatures, allowing him to come up with their identity.

"Deathmon?" Tai tried the word uncertainly, then looked back at Izzy.

The Child of Knowledge nodded, understanding the nature of his leader's look, then opened up his laptop, and began typing frantically away at the keys. His digi-vice was already placed in the adapter, allowing him to accesses the creature's data immediately.

"Deathmon, a demon lord digimon, Dark Area class like Deamon. His attacks are Death Arrow and Explosive Eye, and…" Izzy stopped for a moment, looking over the words on the monitor in disbelief and dread. "And he's a mega." The computer expert gulped out nervously.

"What! You mean all of those _things_ are megas?" Tai cried in dismay.

"I had not expected him to attack in such great numbers, he must take our threat more seriously than I thought." Matt stated as he eyed the advancing digimon closely.

The Deathmon howled viciously, then one of the leading megas leapt into the air, charging for the Children scattered on the road. The creature rose its stubby gray arms, then cried "Death Arrows." Instantly seven long darts, ablaze with crimson, flew towards Joe and Cody.

Gommamon and Upamon had no time to digi-volve and stop the attack. The darts screeched towards their target, ready to explode once reaching the defenseless boys.

"Diamond Storm!" a loud cry pushed out the screeching of the darts, as a blaze of blue crystals hit the approaching darts head on, colliding with the crimson blare, and canceling out the attack.

Joe and Cody both sighed in relief, as they looked over at their savior. Renamon had attacked just in time, saving the two Digidestind's life.

"Well if that's all they've got, this should be easy." Gommamon stated, relieved to see his partner safe.

"Don't get too confident." A dark commanding voice ordered seriously.

Tai looked at his friend closely, surprised to find that the composed voice came from Matt. He stood in front of his fellow Digidestined, his eyes narrowed dangerously upon the herd of Deathmon. He had tossed his black jacket aside during the blackout, and now stood, firmly upon the battlefield, ready to defend his home and his loved ones.

Tai bit his bottom lip, trying to get a handle on his nerves, then turned to the other Digidestined. "All right guys let's do this!" he ordered with confidence.

The others nodded, acknowledging their leader and then eight flashes of light and startling screeches, came from their vibrating digi-vices, and in a flash all of their partners digi-volved to the next level.

The champions moved in front of the children, creating a barrier for the Deathmon to brake through.

"Death Arrow!" another demon boomed. 

The attack was released even quicker then the one before. 

The flying digimon, zoomed out of the way just before the darts hit them, however X-Veemon, who was made for strength not speed, had no time to respond, and the attack hit him directly in the chest.

The champion was pushed back from the power of the hit, the long darts had managed to penetrate his tough scales, making their way deep into his body, where they de-materialized. Trails of crimson flowed slowly from the multitude of punctures on the dragon's chest.

"X-Veemon are you all right!" Davis called, unable to hide the fear in his shaky voice.

"Never… been… better," the blue digimon breathed before he collapsed to one knee.

"This isn't going to work," Matt stated to Tai, staring at him earnestly, "You have to have them all digi-volve to their highest level, or they won't survive this battle." The blonde warned, offering the leader a small glimpse of how concerned he truly was.

"All right." Tai agreed, while giving his friend a grateful and encouraging smile. "Everyone!" he called, getting the other's attention, "let's bump this up a level."

Bright symbols in brilliant colors appeared on the original Digidestined's chest. The power burned through them, and in a flash their respected partners were engulfed in the same beautiful shades of light.

The Deathmon screeched and howled in misery, as the light burned their eyes painfully. They shut their one hideous demon eye, trying desperately to block out the torturing glow of goodness.

The crest exploded, sharing power between human and digimon, and then the light faded, revealing the product of such powerful traits as Love, Knowledge, Reliability, Hope, and Light.

Now in the place of lower level champions, stood five ultimates. A beast-man, with the wings of a phoenix, a large purple beetle, a giant walrus with a hard dark green turtle shell, and two angels, one with shining armor and a many powerful wings, and another, softer, more feminine, with an aurora of celestial light radiating around her.

Once the light show had ended, the Deathmon returned to their disgusted poses more enraged and malicious then before. With howls and screeches, four leaped into the air, releasing their Death Arrow attacks, straight at the four flying digimon. 

Garudamon and MegaKabutarimon evaded the attacks by flying out of the way, while Angewomon and MagnaAngemon crossed their arms in front of their bodies, creating a shield of rainbow and golden light for protection.

"Wing Blade!" 

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Horn Buster!" 

The attacks soared towards the first line of Deathmon, colliding with the line, causing dust and debris to fly, and cloaking the creatures from the ultimate's sight.

Garudamon, Zudomon, and MegaKabuterimon smiled in satisfaction, convinced that their attacks had worked.

Matt looked on the scene, refusing to feel the small sense of triumphant that was slowly growing in the others. He could no longer see the army of megas, which stretched far down the road, but he was aware of the one hundred or so shadows still creeping and fidgeting in the sky, waiting for their turn to attack.

The dust slowly began to thin, but before the Digidestined could gasp in shock, six deep voices cried out "Explosive Eye!" and rays of powerful, dull, yellow light, exploded from six of the Deathmon's large eerie eyes.

The first lined of Deathmon had been unaffected by the ultimate's most powerful attacks, and now the ground shook, and every obstacle, standing in the path of the six attacks, disintegrated into dust.

The Digidestined and digimon had no time to react, and the powerful attack was now upon them.

Matt saw the eyes of the dead gaze upon him hungrily. They screamed at him, offering him what they had, the chance to feel no more, for misery to end, and the teen could not deny how tempting it was to refuse this offer. But as he stood there, waiting for the glare, from the eyes of corpses, to come and drag his soul away, something breathed in him, recalling him to life. Death would have to claim him another day, today his life was not his own. Today it belongs to those he fought for, and ending it now would be a crime against those he loved.

A symbol brighter, and more potent in power then all others before it, began to etch upon the teen's chest. Two blue lights started opposite of one another, drawing the Crest of Friendship on the teen's pale flesh, until the lights met in the middle, shinning brighter once their drawing was complete.

His digi-vice screeched and vibrated, then an amazing blue light exploded from both the device and his crest, and in an astounding show, the light wrapped around Gabumon.

The power surged through the rookie, and the little digimon almost wanted to scream as his data was manipulated into that of an ultimate. And in another flash the light was gone, and there stood WereGarurumon, second in command of the Nightmare Soldiers and partner of the Digidestined of Friendship.

Azure eyes flashed, and Matt dashed past the barrier of waiting digimon, they all seemed frozen in time, for he had contemplated his dance with death quickly, and dismissed it with even greater haste. The ultimates had barely realized an attack was approaching, before the blonde was in front of them. 

And then with just as much speed and conviction, WereGarurumon and Ladydevimon were beside him. The glare of the dead, the Explosive Eye, now collided with the three waiting. The six beams hit them hard, and they grunted and fell back, even the great defenses, of the three most powerful beings in the South, was rivaled by the immense strength of this army of mega demons.

"Matt!" TK cried upon seeing his brother stumble to the ground, clutching his chest in pain. 

"TK! No." Tai ordered, as he grabbed the younger boy, who was desperately trying to reach his injured brother. 

"Let me go Tai! I have to help him!" TK cried, struggling against the brunette's hold.

"Matt would never forgive me if I allowed something to happen to you." Tai replied back with gently, as he tightened his grip on the Child of Hope, who still pulled to get away.

"So _this_ is the _mighty_ Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers," one of the Deathmon, perhaps the leader, hissed in mockery. 

"Where is your power now _boy_? Look at how easily you bow before us and our Master." Several more Deathmon derided the human before them.

Ladydevimon and WereGarurumon lay, crumpled in two battered heaps, on both sides of the painting teen, both trying to regain control of their strength.

And as the creatures sneered scornfully at the injured boy, two more megas approached the front of the line, and boomed out "Explosive Eye!" ready to permanently remove this annoyance.

"Matt!" Tai cried in fear, as the two megas sent their attacks flying. 

And the fires of Courage burned brightly in the Leader's heart. His digi-vice screamed frantically, and the fire spread in an unstoppable wave to his waiting partner.

"Agumon warpdigi-volve to… WarGreymon!" the metallic voice announced his presence strongly. Without another thought, the mega was in front of the kneeling blonde, pulling his shield, with the Crest of Courage engraved upon it, in front of him, taking the full force of the attack.

WarGreymon grunted against the powerful blow forcing him back, but managed to maintain his stance, the strength of Tai's Courage fueling him with power.

Matt's head shot up upon hearing WarGreymon's cry, and his icy eyes flashed in anger, as he saw the mega's green eyes flash in pain. With a deep, shaky breath, he stood up, and all knowledge of the pain and exhaustion was gone.

Renamon was quickly at WereGarurumon's side, while Sorcermon attended to Ladydevimon. The two ultimates reassured their friends that they were fine and stood, following their Lord's example.

'We're facing an army, we need an army.' Matt thought to himself, as he evaluated the situation. "WarGreymon!" the blonde called, as a strategy clicked in his mind. "Fly into the air, Angewomon and MagnaAngemon, form a line in the air with WarGreymon." Matt ordered, receiving agreeing nods from the digimon.

They weren't certain what Matt was planing, but they decided it best for the moment, to follow along.

"Okay, MegaKabuterimon, Zudomon, and Garudamon, form a line of defense on the ground." And again the blonde was obeyed without question. "Nightmare Soldiers, pull back behind the line!" the teen ordered, receiving puzzling looks from his Generals, however they too obeyed, with even greater conviction then the Digidestined's digimon.

The attacks came in a wild rush now. Crimson darts flew towards the waiting digimon line, and they took every attack, using their own to counter, or simply darting them.

"Matt what's going on, I thought the Nightmare Soldiers were stronger then our digimon! So why do you have ours out in front?" Tai questioned in confusion, as he stole a worried glance in WarGreymon's direction.

At first Matt didn't reply, his eyes were locked upon the small battle before him, and for a moment Tai thought that the blonde hadn't heard him, and so he prepared to repeat himself, but before he could speak, Matt replied.

"I don't know if they are necessarily stronger, we all have our strength and weakness. But I do know that we will be **crushed**, if all we do is defend, we need to get on the offense if we every hope to defeat them." Matt stated thoughtfully, sounding completely uninterested in his friend's doubts.

"Then why did you just have them build a line of defense?" Tai asked, bewildered by the blonde's tactics.

Matt turned around and faced Tai; his face seemed to display surprise, as though he was shocked that the brunette would even ask these types of questions.

"Your digimon are all powerful vaccine type, they have natural defenses against virus attacks, allowing them to withstand the Deathmon's blows much better then the Nightmare Soldiers. We need a defense, while I set my plan into action, and your partners are, by far, the most equipped for that." Matt explained, before a startling bang drew his attention back to the battle.

Zudomon had been driven to the ground by one of the Deathmon's Explosive Eye attacks.

"They're beginning to tire, whatever you're going to do, you had better do it now." Tai ordered, as he looked upon the battered forms of the first line of digimon.

Matt nodded in confirmation to Tai's order, then turned to Ladydevimon, who was waiting quietly by his side. "Line the stealth members of your division along the top of the buildings, in the middle of the field. Then take the rest of your division, quietly to the back of their lines. We will close them in and attack them from all sides, hopefully the confusion this will cause, will give us the upper hand." He stated, with a small smile of encouragement.

"Yes my Lord." Ladydevimon replied in respect.

Another crash from the defense line, and Angewomon flew to the ground, groaning in pain. White feathers stained with dirt and blood, drifted around the field, and Kari screamed in fright.

The celestial maiden moaned, then pushed herself back up, giving her partner a reassuring smile, before she flew back into the air, rejoining the line. 

"Ladydevimon." Matt whispered softly, drawing both the fallen angel's and Tai's attention back to him. "You'll be on your own, until our lines meet. Be careful, there are fifty on the ground and over a hundred in the air. And the very shadows around us are alive. The streets will be panted red before the sun sets." 

Ladydevimon nodded, understanding her Lord's warning, then sunk slowly into the ground. Once her head vanished beneath the concrete, Tai spoke.

"It will be more their blood then ours Matt, I promise." Tai expressed, knowing that his friend was afraid, not for himself, but for those around him.

Matt didn't respond, he couldn't respond, and so he did what every good leader does, buried his feelings and focused on duty.

"Renamon summon your division and have them relieve the ultimates." Matt ordered.

Renamon nodded, and her placid blue eyes began to glow in a shade of deep purple. Then the glow ceased, and suddenly a group of fifteen Renamon appeared. The rookie digimon didn't waste a moment, before they were in front of the Digidestined's partners, taking the Deathmon's idle attacks, allowing the ultimates some rest.

Sorcermon, I want your division to watch over the others. If one of the Digidestined is in danger you must protect them, and if another digimon falls, you must pick up where the fallen one left off.

Matt ordered telepathically.

__

As you wish my Lord.

Sorcermon replied, before he floated up to a building behind the fighting, where he could see the lines better, and could organize his own troops for their part of the battle.

"Tai," Matt called softly, brining the Child of Courage to his side. "This is going to be unlike anything we've ever faced. Once Ladydevimon strikes from behind, I'm going to order the attack from the front. It's going to be a real blood bath, maybe you should take the others to a safer location." He cautioned seriously.

Tai crossed his arms, as an arrogant smirk appeared upon his face. "And let you have all the fun, I don't think so. Besides I don't think anywhere is safe now." He replied confidently.

Matt sighed in defeat, knowing that arguing with Tai, would be like arguing with himself, pointless. "They're in position." He announced softly as he turned back to the battle.

And the real fight began.

She moved within the ground, buried alive, drifting through soil as though it were thin air. Her wounds from the attack before left small stains of crimson to mix with the moist, dark earth. And her scarlet eyes shut for a moment, knowing what was above her, darkness, and then death.

She could not help the thrill that sped up her heart, causing her to shake with excitement, this was what she was made for. Battle, just wars, with blood shed for a purpose. And now here she was, flowing with ease through the resting-place of the deceased, honoring them, by protecting the home they left behind.

The fallen angel rose out of the ground, like a spirit called back from its grave. Her head emerged first, and gleaming demon eyes twinkled with mischief. 

The clumsy beasts before her, didn't even realize she was gone. There they stood, in their scattered lines, sending one mindless attack after another at the line of Renamon. The group of children and monsters were now over two miles away, but the lady demon's keen sight, allowed her to gaze upon the scene, in perfect detail. 

The maiden of darkness, smiled sadistically, enjoying the thought of ripping her scarlet talons through one of the near by Deathmon, but she pushed the thought away, this was no time for pursuing personal pleasures. So she sighed thoughtfully, reminding herself that there would be plenty of opportunities to slaughter these _things_, once her orders had been carried out. And so she rose from the cement slowly. Her slender body pulled completely out of the soil and stone, until her two healed boots rested upon the pavement.

She smiled again, this time at the sight of MagnaAnegmon sending a powerful attacks straight into on of the front Deathmon's large eye, causing the mega to shrill in pain, and pull back, while drops of gray blood, and other fluids from the eye ball, dripped sluggishly to the pavement. 

A sharp, white fang rested upon the demon's lower lip, as she mused on how to go about her attack. She looked back at the shadows behind her, all of which were hers to command. They waited, aphotic images of warriors, blood thirsty and ready. They did not squirm impatiently like Deamon's troops, instead, they floated silently, waiting for their commander's orders. 

"First division, move to the tops of the buildings, in the center of the Deathmon's lines." She ordered finally. 

And the shadows moved, quicker then the obscurity caused by clouds, being tossed roughly, across a full moon.

"Second division, prepare to attack on my command." She whispered sternly, not wanting to alert the Dark Area digimon to her whereabouts.

And the second group of shadows pulled together, slowly changing from blotches of gray and black light, into large demonic forms.

Demon wings, crimson claws, and eyes as red as the blood they thirst for. From the shadows came the dragons of the inferno, Devidramon.

The demon dragons screeched loudly behind the Deathmon, giving the megas no more warning then the shrill cry. Then crimson eyes began to glow with a fierce glare, narrowing their demonic gaze upon their startled opponents.

Ladydevimon, the tamer of demon digimon, rose above her division, then cried above the noise. "Attack!"

Instantly the Devidramon were in the air, flying directly towards the back of the Deathmon's lines.

The megas saw the dragons approaching now, and knew they had been fooled. The first group of Deathmon raised up their stubby arms, or took to the air, trying to avoid the approaching dragons, but it was to no avail. The Devidramon picked off each Deathmon with brutal efficiency. 

Ribbons of bloodied data blew like streamers in the wind; three of the Deathmon, who had attempted to flee by flight, had been meet by the Devidramon's razor sharp claws. The dragons jerked their long Crimson Claws, roughly, through the Deathmon's tuff flesh, but once the claws meet the muscle and bone, they ripped smoothly through, leaving nothing but gray soaked ribbons behind.

Another Deathmon tried to escape the attack by pushing its way through the line, however, one of the smaller Devidramon saw its attempted, and chose this fleeing mega as its prey. The dragon charged at the Deathmon, who was turned around trying desperately to make its way past its comrades, then leapt high into the air, stretching its long limbs, before coming down, claws first on the mega. 

The demon digimon squirmed, trying to escape the dragon's grasp, but his actions were only rewarded, by the Devidramon locking its strong jaw upon the Deathmon's decrepit wings. The dragon yanked and gnawed viciously, on the broken wings, snapping the bones in half ,and getting a mouthful of demon blood. Then it placed its to hands hard upon the struggling Deathmon, and, in one powerful pull, yanked the wings off.

Drops of gray, sticky fluid, flew everywhere, and the Devidramon shook its head triumphantly, with the amputated wings still locked in its jaw.

The Deathmon was howling and screeching in misery, its wings had been ripped from its body, with the ease of a human pulling of the transparent wings of a fly. Bloodied knobs, and pieces of black flesh, were all that remained from the megas wings, but, the torture was not enough to destroy it. It began to squirm defiantly, trying to remove the dragon's hold, but these attempts only resulted in the Devidramon's annoyance, and in one final blow the dragon impaled the Deathmon in the back of its scull with its red claws, silencing its moans forever. 

The Deathmon's body laid still for a moment, before its data began to dissolve and fade away. The last of the data to be reconfigured, was the wings, still trapped in the Devidramon's mouth, and the dragon gulped and swallowed as much of the fading data particles as it could, and still was not satisfied.

Despite these victories, not all of the demon dragons were successful in their attacks. Many fell into crimson soaked heaps, upon meeting their opponents. Several were shot down in the air by Death Arrow attacks, before they had the opportunity to taste death's blood. Now their own pure, crimson blood, flowed into, and out of, their mouths, staining their dagger like teeth a reddish-pink. 

The glowing darts tore through their wings, sending them crashing to the pavement below; where the Deathmon would crawl upon their injured prey, tearing at their flesh, and gulping it down in bulk. Until at last, the Devidramon could take no more abuse, and their data would pull apart, and then float away on the wind.

Deathmon were ripped mercilessly apart, and Devidramon were shot down from the sky, and the primal battle continued as another attack began.

Matt had seen Ladydevimon give the command to attack, but more importantly, he felt the effects of that order. The screeching and howling, rang freely on the wind, and the sky gained a new shade to mix with the blues and purples and blacks, a deep red, that painted across the heavens, in reflection of what occurred below. Streams of gray data were carried along the wind, and the crimson grew bolder with each beast slain. 

"The center will attack in a moment, then it will be our turn, with any luck, the Deathmon will realize their disadvantage and retreat, giving us more time to prepare." Matt announced to Tai, who nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his attention back to the howls, coming from the battle, some two or three miles away.

Matt had formed a short of central, for the "good guys", by the bus bench, and he, along with WereGarurumon and the Digidestined, remained there, safe behind the wall of Renamon.

'A leader is good to no one dead.' Matt reminded himself, as he watched another Renamon fall to the ground with serious injuries.

Two of the Renamon had been destroyed by an Explosive Eye attack, and Matt knew, that the defense of rookies would not hold up much longer. Luckily the Ultimates had recovered their strength, and had returned to the front line, joining the rookies in their skirmish. 

Matt glance over at Tai, who was standing closely by, while shouting encouragement to WarGreymon, who had joined the ultimates on the skirmish. The blonde had felt obligated, from the very beginning of the battle, to keep Tai informed at all times. It was like to Commanding Generals, trying to run one field, and Matt knew that without communication, the Digidestined and the Nightmare Soldiers, would be lost, functioning as to separate armies, instead of one master power.

"Tai," Matt called softly, pulling the brunette's attention away from skirmish line. "Once the center moves in, I plan on leading the attack from our position." The blonde stated, his eyes gentle, as he knew Tai would fully disagree.

"Matt it's too dangerous." Tai replied softly, not wanting the other Digidestined to hear their discussion. "Those _things_, are really powerful, and if something happens to you, who will lead the Nightmare Soldiers." The leader argued logically.

"You don't know what I'm capable of Tai." Matt began, with an understanding smile. "My powers have grown, and I have overcome forces far greater than this. I have to be out there with my people, I want to be out there." He explained, as his crystal eyes glanced at the attacks occurring miles away.

"Why tell me?" Tai whispered in distress, knowing he could not stop the blonde from doing what he had to do.

"Because, I want you to watch over TK while I'm out there, but I also want you to be safe as well. This is war and many will die, I just don't want to come back and find that any of you are one of them." He explained, unable to hide the fear in his shaky voice.

"I'll watch out for him, if you promise to fight to live, not to die." The Child of Courage expressed solemnly.

Matt smiled, feeling more secure in knowing that his brother's life was in Tai's steady hands. "I promise." The blonde replied sincerely.

And the two best friends embraced one another in a tight huge; knowing that it could be their last.

The buildings decayed and crumbled, stray attacks from both sides, sent pieces of brick and cement to the streets below. While the few windows, that remained in tacked from the last strike, were shattered into millions of tiny slivers, that rained down upon the world below, sparkling like crystal, as they caught dim rays of silver light. Telephone poles fell, breaking and splitting into scattered fragments of wood, dampened by spilt blood. What little remained of the city, was now being destroyed in an effort to save it.

But this mattered not to the figures, standing as still as statues, upon the ledges of the breakage. They lined upon the tops of buildings, taking their natural resting-place, and turning it into that of waiting. They were given orders, simple and direct, line the top of the buildings, and prepare to attack. 

Below was a sea of animosity. Blood, gray and crimson, spewed upon the streets, and dead and injured bodies, crumpled to the ground, like forgotten trash in the gutter. And they waited, lining the buildings like pieces on a chest board, being placed cautiously into position, until at last they could cry out, checkmate.

The Devidramon, lead by their General, the beautiful and charming Ladydevimon, had pushed the Deathmon in, and now their Lord waited for the statues attack, which would put the Dark Area digimon into position to be butchered.

At last the statues moved, forsaking their natural habits. Their large arms, had rested comfortably upon the ledge, while their feet stood beside their palms, but now small, white wings, stretched then flapped once, as the statues revived the limbs to life. Now the angel wings, resting high upon a slender back were ready to support the weight of a lanky body.

White flesh, like satin, was clothed by many silver straps, around the arms, legs, chest, and two covering slanted pale blue eyes. Sharp talons, of marine blue, were placed upon the toes and fingers and a long blue tale, stretched out from the back. To match the two wings, upon its back, were two ears, shaped and fashioned like tiny cupid wings upon the head. 

Gargoylemon, the only vaccine fallen angel, the White and Black Statue, now had their turn to join the havoc below, and they gratefully took this opportunity.

They swooped down gracefully, allowing their angel wings to carry them gently upon the breeze, until they were at last upon the battle.

The Deathmon had been closed in. Renamon and the Digidestined's digimon created a wall from the front, which now stood stronger since X-Veemon, Stingmon, Ankylomon, and Aquilamon joined the line, and Ladydevimon, along with the Devidramon, attacked viciously from the back. Now the Gargoylemon had to concentrate on the center, where the megas fidgeted restlessly trapped between the two sides.

The first of the Gargoylemon swept down, grasping three Deathmon by the shoulders, puncturing the mega's flesh, with their sharp blue talons, then pulled them up into the air.

The Deathmon shook and tried attack the fallen angels, but the Gargoylemon held on tightly, and in their position, there was no way for either of their attacks, to so much as graze the slender white creatures.

Once high in the air, the Gargoylemon would whisper _"White Statue", _and the Deathmon, in the midst of their screeching and struggling, would been infected with a virus, which spread from their punctured shoulders, to the rest of their vile bodies. Once the virus had fully infected the mega, the Gargoylemon would sneer, pleased with the new lawn ornaments in their grips, then with little interest, would release the white statues, causing the air to shrill as it split. Then, the statues of death, would hit the pavement, and brake into small chunks and particles of dust, before braking up into streams of data. Sometimes the fallen angel's glee would increase, as one of their falling statues landed upon another Deathmon, causing a crunch below, which would either destroy, or badly injure, the mega digimon. Those destroyed, blood and organs, would splatter upon the road, sickening gray fluids and sticky pieces of muscle, would lay forgotten on the field, sometimes trampled by other Deathmon, and sometimes reconfigured before any more harm could befall the decay.

The Deathmon now saw their demise coming from both behind and above, and panic flooded their lines. They shot fearful attacks at the Gargoylemon, only managing to bring down and destroy four of them, for the Gargoylemon were swift and capable of temporary transparency, in both the light and the darkness.

The Deathmon were trapped, and feeling the weight of the forces of virtue push down upon them, from behind and above, led them to quick and rash choices. Seventeen of the fifty, had been brutally destroyed, and their enemies showed no signs of remorse or surrender. The megas were now desperate, the Devidramon, along with Ladydevimon, were pushing their way through the lines at an alarming rate, and the Gargoylemon still picked off the Dark Area digimon from above, now there was only one direction to go. 

The skirmish line, serving as a defense for the Digidestined, was, as far as the megas could see, the weakest division in their opponent's entire forces. This belief built an extreme confidence that the Deathmon could, easily, eliminate those simple creatures, and their worthless human friends.

Icy eyes met those of a blazing fire, and the strength of the two wills did not oppose one another, instead they feed off of one another. The fire breathed life into the ice, while the ice breed determination within the fire. Two leaders, both with different places in this war and all wars to come, stood together, both knowing, that neither would be standing where they were today, if it were not for the other.

Matt glanced at the battle beside him, out of the corner of his eye, knowing that it would not be long before the attacks, from behind and above, would push death towards him. They were coming, it was unavoidable, and he was ready to face death with a will to live.

"I have to go to the front of the line." He announced to any that listened, as his eyes of ice, lit on fire. The fire of courage consumed the ice of friendship, and together, within this teen, they created a power greater then he had ever felt before.

"Don't do anything I would do." Tai replied, in a failed attempt to lighten the mood.

Matt only smiled sympathetically at his worried friend, before he dashed off, leaving Tai, and the other Digidestined, to worry, behind the shield, that Matt had created to save them.

Matt and WereGarurumon met in the center of the defensive line, but exchanged no pleasantries, instead they stood ready for the approaching battle.

The Renamon made up the middle of the line along with WarGreymon, while the ultimates, formed the outside, and the champions remained in the back, taking the deflected attacks that the front line missed.

The division of Renamon, had suffered the least amount of casualties, out of the three division, currently in battle, however three had been badly wounded, and picked up by Sorcermon's division of wizards.

"Renamon!" Matt shouted above the noise, "When we engage the enemy, I want you and the champions to stay in this line, while the Ultimates, WarGreymon, and WereGarurumon and I, move forward, and try to connect with Ladydevimon's lines." He explained loudly, know that the Digidestined's digimon had heard as well, and were also prepared to follow the order.

The Deathmon were now making their way towards the skirmish line. One bold, or possibly just foolish, mega pushed its way ahead of the fleeing demons, saw the line, then picked out the one, that in its mind, was the easiest target to eliminate. It pulled its stubby gray arms back, then released a powerful Death Arrow attack, which streaked through the air faster than the speed of sound, and was upon the defensive line in less then a second.

Matt saw the crimson darts heading straight for him, and lazily lifted his arm. The long arrows were upon him, but before they could embed in both his open palm, and his chest, the teen's crystal eyes began to glow, slanting slightly, causing them to look like the eyes of a predator. From his fiery gaze, his outstretched hand began to glow the same unnerving blue.

The darts reached his palm, but when meeting with the blue glow, they did not impact, instead, they dissolved into dense red fluid, which covered his hand, and fell directly to the ground, splashing in tiny drops upon his clothes. His arm lowered, and the red that stained it, dripped sluggishly from his fingertips, to the ground.

'I wonder if these attacks represent every ounce of blood that these creatures have spilt, and that they must continue to shed others blood, in order to continue attacking. Or maybe the blood that stains my hand, has a more personal meaning. Maybe I am doomed to forever carry the mark of the dead upon me, their blood which I spill, will forever be a part of me.'

And the thoughts faded, as he drew a deep breathe, ready to suffer the penalty of his choice. "Charge!" 

The cry rang out like lightening cracking stone, and Matt, along with the digimon, poured into the Deathmon's lines.

Death and Virtue met in the middle of the field with thundering blows, and the blood continued to spill and spew, as warrior's feet pounded the ground.

TK gripped the saturated, white, fishing hat, in his shaking hands. His knuckles turned white, as he ringed the hat tensely, while biting his lip, suppressing the need to cry out his brother's name.

The lines had meet quickly, then merged. Matt had wasted no time in getting into the battle. He scanned over the field with haste, until he had picked out a target. Then the blonde rushed at the Deathmon, who had seen the teen approaching. 

The mega moved into a ready position, and tried its Death Arrow attack, but Matt slid to the side, staying low, as to avoid other flying attacks, and managed to avoid the crimson darts completely. Then while the mega was preparing to release its Explosive Eye attack, Matt quickly leapt into the air, putting all of his strength and body, into a powerful punch.

TK gritted his teeth, and tried not to vomit, as his brother's fist went flying into the Deathmon's large eye. 

The demon shrilled and shook, now blind and injured, and Matt yanked his fist out of the soft tissue. Sticky, yellow goo and gray fluid, covered his hand and wrist, and the blonde looked upon it in disgust, as he shook his hand, trying to free it from the grasp of the _nasty eye goo_. 

TK couldn't help but smirk, as he saw Matt's mouth move in agitation. 'He's probably cursing, then saying something like "Great idea Ishida let's punch his eyes, the grosses part of his whole body."' The younger boy thought to himself with a smile, as his brother still continued his struggle with the goo on his hand.

Then the smile faded, as the Deathmon recovered its stance, closing its injured eye, then released a Death Arrow attack straight for Matt.

The teen hadn't noticed the approaching attack, as he tried using his other hand to peal of the yellow film from his right hand, which only resulted in the film sticking to his left hand as well.

TK's eyes widened; the attack was nearly upon his brother. "Matt!" the boy cried in fear and desperation, as tear began to glisten in his tiered eyes.

Matt blinked, forgetting the film and fluid on his _hands_. The cry had broken through the teen's mind, returning his attention back to the battle, and he turned around, just in time to see the glowing red darts approaching him. The blonde grunted, already annoyed at the thing responsible for his dilemma with his hands, then lowered his arms, his sticky hands tightening into aggravated fist. His knuckles turned white, as his film covered hands began to glow a soft, and hardly noticeable, lapis. 

While the lapis light radiated from his hands, a shield appeared before him, like a round piece of thin glass, tented, a very light sky blue. The Death Arrow hit the glass shield, shattering it into many pieces. However the attack, once collided with the glass, fell to the ground, as though the sound waves, from the braking shield, disoriented the attack, rendering it worthless, and knocking it aside, like an annoying insect.

TK sighed in relief upon see Matt safe, and his abuse upon the white fishing hat let up a bit. He was grateful that Matt had turned around when he did, or else there would be nothing but slices of mangled flesh, remaining of the teen. 'I guess his senses are just as good, despite all the chaos around him.' TK mused with pride; certain that there was no way his brother could have heard him above all of the crashes and cries.

The Child of Hope, returned his attention back to the battle. The Deathmon thought that its attack had worked, and was currently gloating in its blind victory. Then Matt turned back around, flashing TK a small but grateful smile, which caused the younger boy to look shocked for a moment, before he smiled brightly back. 'He did hear me!' the youth thought, now more excited about the battle then before.

Matt turned back to the gleeful Deathmon. The Lord of The Nightmare Soldiers, smiled wickedly at his dancing prey, and he ran his tongue over his chapped lips, before deciding exactly what to do with this _annoyance_. Finally, his mind fell upon the answer, and his smile broadened, as he prepared to unleash his wrath.

TK looked on curiously, as Matt rose his hand high above his head. The younger boy's curiosity grew, as midnight blue energy, appeared in the form of a crystal, floating above the teen's raised and open palm.

The small crystal rested in its floating position, before it exploded braking into many tiny and sharp fragments. The fragments also floated in midnight blue over the teen's hand, and then with a cry Matt pushed his hand forward, and the sharp, splinter like fragments went whirling towards the unsuspecting Deathmon.

Matt's stare went from one of mischief, to one of cold hatred, if the Deathmon's intentions were to reduce him to bloodied ribbons, than that would be its fate. So the crystals meet the Deathmon, it screeched in shock and shrilled in pain, as the crystals sliced through it. 

TK gulped, trying to gain control of the nausea raising in his stomach, as he watched the crystals mangle and tear at the Deathmon's stubby arms. The limbs were now hanging, to a ripped up body, by strands of ashen flesh and tissue, however the left arm weighed down too heavily upon the strands, and eventually tore off, falling to the ground, before braking up into particles of data. Then the rest of the Deathmon's body, soaked in gray blood with chunks of skin sliced off, dissolved, the Deathmon bellowing out one last, painful howl, before its body completely reconfigured.

The Child of Hope was forced to look away for a moment, the agonizing howl still echoing in his ears. 'I've never seen it like this. Was this why Matt kept what he is from me? Was he afraid that the sight of all of this destruction would destroy me? Now I understand why the innocent cry in the presence of death, and the experienced embrace it. The experienced have seen death in all of its shadows and reality, but the innocent have shied away, not wanting to feel a reality that the experienced would gladly protect them from. My brother tried to protect me from this, and I will not allow his efforts to be fully in vain. The moment the sight of such needless hate does not shock us, is the moment we cross over into a reality without hope.'

And so the Digidestined of Hope allowed himself to be disgusted, he allowed the tears to fall. This wasn't right, and he would never see it as the way life was. He allowed himself to be afraid, and he forced himself to watch, and feel disgust, pain, fear, and hope.

Another Deathmon attacked Matt from behind, but Matt sensed the attack and turned around, catching the mega's bony arms, before it could slam its claws into him. The blonde then kicked the demon in the left kneecap, hearing a cracking sound from the impact. The Deathmon howled, then yanked away; limping from its injuries, before releasing an Explosive Eye attack.

Matt saw the beam of dull, yellow light coming, and leapt into the air. The attack hit another Deathmon, which was currently beating upon MegaKabuterimon. Once the Deathmon behind Matt exploded into dust, the blonde came down upon his attacker with a powerful kick, knocking the beast to the ground. He then sent a sphere of energy into the fallen mega, braking him into clusters of data, that broke apart quickly and faded away.

And TK watched, sorrow in his gaze, as his brother, his Guardian Angel, sold his soul for the innocent, for hope.

They were dropping like flies, the number quickly reducing to three scattered lines. Sorcermon watched the last of the battle, from his place on the ledge of a tall sky scrapper. Yamato's line had meet with Ladydevimon's. and now the joined army was finishing off the remaining Deathmon, and ever attack was executed with fatal efficiency.

Sorcermon cheered from his perch, as Ladydevimon sent a powerful Darkness Wave attack at one of the struggling Deathmon. The swarm of bats consumed the mega quickly, their razor like wings slicing through its body, while their tiny fangs nibbled on its skin. The bats passed through it, and the creature broke apart into fragments of data.

Matt and WereGarurumon stood beside Ladydevimon, commanding their lines, and attacking with the support of the other two. The Renamon had pushed their skirmish line forward, another of the fox digimon had fallen to death's attack, but the others still held the line, showing no signs of abandoning their post.

The champion digimon of the Digidestined stayed further behind the Renamon, receiving less direct attacks, but still acting as a shield for the deflected ones. WarGreymon and the ultimates fought along side the Devidramon and Gargoylemon, and the Deathmon's numbers were grew less and less.

Sorcermon himself had received the pleasure of relieving the world, of one of those filthy and barbaric megas. When one of the Gargoylemon crashed to the ground, like lightening , the wizard took it upon himself to retrieve him. He flew into enemy lines, finding the fallen angel, with broken and blood stained wings, and whisked to its side, ready to heal the warrior's wounds. But as he was preparing a spell, one of the Deathmon charged the two, its bulky feet pounded hard upon the pavement, as it stampeded towards the Nightmare Soldiers. 

Sorcermon shot his head up, glaring coldly at the approaching nuisance, then pulled his hand back and cried "Crystal Cloud!" the magic attack crashed into the mega, stopping it in its tracks, Sorcermon then lifted his staff and whispered a soft binding spell. 

The Deathmon had been so shocked by the power of Sorcermon's attack, that it didn't realize the chains of white energy wrapping around him, until he was fully bound, and tripped to the ground. There the creature lied in its vulnerable state, completely at the wizard's mercy.

Sorcermon's brow crinkled and his eyes narrowed upon the chained Deathmon. Then the sorcerer began to concentrate, while he spoke in a low, spiteful voice. 

The Deathmon screeched, as the chains began to tighten around it, the white energy began to glow brighter and the chains pulled. It squirmed and shook, then began to choke and wheeze, as the chain tightened, like a serpent, squeezing the life out drop by drop. And then bones began to brake under the pressure, and the creature wheezed on last breath, before its big eye rolled in the back of its head, and the lid slid shut. 

The white energy faded leaving the corpse to rot and fade away.

The wizard returned to his task of healing the Gargoylemon, using a simple spell, the fallen angel was back to full health, returning to the sky, where it scanned the area for more Deathmon to devour.

Now there was no one left for the wizard to heal. His division of Wizardmon and FlaWizardmon, were currently mending two Renamon, four Gargoylemon, and three Devidramon, a job that they were more then capable of handling, without his help. So he waited on his perch, watching the battle, with as much feeling as he had put into participating in it. 

WereGarurumon used a Garuru Kicked, to cut one of the megas into two perfect halves, which fell to the ground, organs still operating, until the mess dissolved into data. WarGreymon used his Terra Force to evaporate another Deathmon, and the enemy lines had dwindled down to three. 

Sorcermon's eyes locked upon the three remaining Deathmon, he could see the terror in their one giant eye. The beast could not understand how they could be defeated. They had out numbered their enemy, and they had the power of their Master behind them, so how could they have lost?

But the thoughts did not remain long, for Angewomon and MagnaAngemon took it upon themselves to finish off the last of the frightened beast together. Both chanted out their attacks in celestial voices, that rang like trumpets. Angewomon's Heaven's Charm engulfed the beasts, sending a fire through them, that burnt from the inside out, and MagnaAngemon's Gate of Destiny was formed by his mighty sword. The gate opened, and a force grasped unto the Deathmon, like the hands of the souls who had suffered the same fate, as the beast were about to experience, and wished to share their eternal pain with all they could. The force dragged the stunned megas in, before the gate closed; sealing shut, then disappeared until the Angel of Justice should call upon it again.

Sorcermon smiled, the first of Deamon's attack was over, and with few casualties on their side. The wizard was a bit disappointed at not getting the chance to experience the full rush of the battle, but he knew it was not over, over a hundred more shadows still crawled along the sky. The tenebrosity painted tiny blotches upon the blue, purple, and crimson clouds, and they squirmed, retreating closer to the rift, once the last of the Deathmon below were destroyed.

"What evil will befall us now?" the great sorcerer mused allowed, as he looked upon the mourning sky with sympathy and wonder.

"Wow!" Tai cried in excitement, as he jumped onto his best friend's back "You're going to have to teach me to do that!" the leader exclaimed, after Matt had annoyingly pushed him off his back.

"It's not something you can learn; it's something you just do." Matt explained, shrugging his shoulders casually.

"Man that was so cool! You guys like totally dominated out there!" Davis cried, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, I never thought I'd ever see the day, when a whole army of mega digimon would just be picked off like **nothing**." Yolie agreed, causing WereGarurumon and Ladydevimon to blush.

"It wasn't **nothing**." Matt stated in a wretch voice. "We lost many of our friends today, no victory comes without a price, and that price was our comrades. Honor their sacrifices by seeing this for what it was, pain, sorrow, and loss. And remember that this was only the beginning." Matt announced as he looked into the heavens, where the tear in the sky, and the darkness waited.

All listening lowered their heads, some in shame and some in grief. 

Matt would have kept his eyes upon the tormented sky until he saw signs of relief or indications of the next threat, but uncertain feet, shifting nervously behind him, brought his attention back to earth, and the battle field he stood upon.

TK looked into his brother's eyes uncertainly, and Matt could see fear and distraught in the younger boy's tearful eyes.

"TK," Matt whispered softly, before bringing the boy in for a comforting hug.

TK allowed his brother to comfort him for a moment, his mind not registering that only minutes ago his Guardian Angel, had killed like a merciless reaper, showing no signs of remorse or piety for the ones he slew. 

Kari too fell into her big brother's arms, drawing in strength from his courage. She shook and sobbed quietly in Tai's embrace, and he whispered gentle, comforting words to her, trying to soothe away her distress.

The others sought comfort in one another, the reality of all they had just seen, played back in their minds, hitting them harder then the actually sight of the destruction. And some of them trembled uncontrollably, not even fully certain of why, and others sighed, then looked upon their trembling friends, but their eyes saw nothing.

The Nightmare Soldiers gathered around and above the Digidestined, their eyes flashed with curiosity. They did not understand, why did the children weep? Why did they grief now, when the battle had barely begun, and the possibility of you joining the deceased was still fresh? Why did they cry? None of them had been injured, none of their friends had been killed, so why? It was not the warriors' way, to let something so simply as war upset them so much. Later those who survived would mourn silently for those lost, for tears help no one. But the grief would pass quickly, for this was what they were. Since the dawn of their existence, they fought and died, none of that had changed. But now one thing was different, why they fought. They had a reason now, a reason that benefited them, and the rest of the world, this field holds meaning,, so why weep? Many will fall, but none will be defeated.

The tension in the heavens built up, as, for a moment, its pain ended and all was still above. Then the sky bewailed, and thunder shattered the silence, light, in deep shades of red, crashed and struck across the sky. A show occurred above; the thunder shook the ground below, and the shadows danced with glee upon the painted clouds.

More lightening, the colors of the blood, which stained the ground below, flashed along the sky, and bellowing booms of thunder rang closely after the light. The shadows pealed back, and began crawling and scurrying away from the rift. Some crawled slowly down the invisible wall of glass, stopping only a couple of miles above their enemies, and others scattered along the tops of buildings and skyscrapers, still concealed in their adumbration. 

The rift along the sky tore, sounding like flesh splitting and bones braking, and more darkness spilled out, like blood flowing from a fresh wound. The shadows followed the example of those before them, and scattered along the sky, spinning and skipping, while silently mocking the forces below.

As the rift tore and the shadows emerged, like locus ready to devour then move on only to devour again, the outline of the rift began to glow with a black light, that took on shades of purple. The shadows stopped swarming out, and the glow grew brighter. Then the light flashed in crimson streaks across the sky, and the thunder boomed. The wind picked up and howled like a prowling wolf, forcing many of the lightweight Gargoylemon to the ground.

Many eyes watched the sky, unable to look away. The elements bore down upon them, like violent waves pushing them deep under murky waters, but they did not look away. 

The light around the rift flashed in a radiance of darkness, and the crimson streaked before and after the thunder, no longer caring about the natural order of storms. And then emerged two more shadows from the hideous rift. They came out as large silhouettes of two baneful beasts.

The outline of a dragon and a bulky bear, floated to the sides of the rift, and then the sky cracked again. The black light rayed over the rift, covering the opening like a curtain, and the lightening flashed brighter, and more often then before. Then the curtain split, and the heavens cursed and moaned, as darkness and death emerged from its wound.

The black glow dimmed, and the flashing of crimson ceased, as Deamon, Lord of Demons and the Master of the Dark Ocean, emerged from the rift.

All below looked upon the demon in horror, and the shadows lifted from his army, revealing his powerful forces.

Eyes of deep waters froze over, and the smooth mirrors reflected the image before them. There, floating in-between his two remaining commanders, was Deamon. 

The demon's deep red cloak blew around him, like a mist of blood, and his lifeless black eyes, glared down upon his rival, with hatred and disgust.

Beside their Master floated Megidramon and WaruMonzaemon. Both the Evil Dragon digimon and the Puppet digimon, sneered, wickedly, at the army below.

Matt looked deep into his opponent's eyes, showing no signs of fear or anger. He simple looked at the dead orbs closely, trying to read the monstrosity's mind, but found it ineffective. His opponent wore a mask of apathy, similar to the teen's, which rendered the blonde's efforts useless.

'I know Death's name. I have walked with him before. I have seen darkness fall and press down upon us all. He's come to take the breath from my lungs and the blood from my veins. He's come to strip my soul away. But I can not blink and lose sight of this. He's come for me and I for him.' Yamato chanted in his head, unable to ignore the ironic humor in his situation. Only four years ago he had fought against the Nightmare Soldiers. Now he was leading them against an enemy, to secure his place as their leader. 

"Let's see here we have," Izzy began thoughtfully. "Bakemon, Soulmon, Gigadramon, and of course more Deathmon." The red head explained, as he looked up the profiles of the herds of creatures above them.

"But what about those?" Sora asked, unable to hide the trimmer in her voice, as she pointed towards a flock of digimon behind WaruMonzaemon.

"Those look like Gargoylemon!" Cody announced frightfully.

Tai looked upon the flock of fallen angels closely. They did looked identical to the white creature that fought on there side, expect instead of small white angel wings and pure white clothes, these creature had wings of raven feathers and cloth of black silk. The bands around them were of a darker metal, and the talons and tale were a deep gray.

Tai's head snapped over to Matt, who had completely forgotten that anyone else was there besides himself and Deamon. "I thought Gargoylemon were your people?" he questioned accusingly, the overwhelming numbers above causing fear to rise in his mind.

Matt ignored the question for a moment, his eyes still looked upon Deamon, before he slowly turned his head in Tai direction, his face showing little interest in the brunet. "Bakemon and Soulmon are Nightmare Soldiers as well." He explained sorrowfully, hating that he must destroy his own.

"Gargoylemon by nature are vaccine, the only vaccine fallen angels in existence, but when they turn again their nature, they become virus and their bodies reflect that. Kind of like when MetalGreymon was turned into a virus by the dark spiral." The blonde went on to explain, before he returned his attention to the sky. "Many turned from their people once I became their Lord, they could not serve a human. I helped destroy their former Lord, it was simply wrong in their eyes. And now I must destroy them because of that conviction."

These words caused Tai's face to soften, and no one dared to question the blonde further on the matter.

__

Sorcermon, bring down your troops. Have two Wizardmon and two FlaWizardmon keep watch over the Digidestined, and set the rest into a line behind Ladydevimon's troops, but before Renamon's. The rookies need a break.

Matt ordered, as he thought of the best way to position his army.

__

Of course My Lord.

Sorcermon chirped with glee, excited that he would now join the battle.

"Ladydevimon line your divisions in front, and Renamon fall back!" Matt yelled and the world began to move again.

Matt stood still, as everyone took their respect place, as quickly as possible.

The Devidramon and Gargoylemon formed the first line in the sky, and below them were Sorcermon's two divisions.

Renamon pulled back to rest, and were joined by the four wizards in charge of protecting the Digidestined.

The Chosen protested weakly, as several Renamon ushered them far back behind the lines for safety, while their digimon joined Ladydevimon's ranks in the air and on the ground. And amidst all of this movement stood Matt and WereGarurumon, both ready for another walk with death.

Ladydevimon finished shouting her orders and placing her divisions where she wanted them, and now she floated silently in the air. Her fine, white hair, blew behind her freely, her hands tightened into fist, and her scarlet eyes began to glow in a threatening red light.

Her mind was focused upon the battle to come, that was until the sound, of softly flapping wings, drew her attention to her right side. 

"Is this place taken?" an enchanting voice asked, as light pink lips formed a humble smile.

The fallen angel looked from her right to her left, confused at first by the two angels that now floated beside her, then turned back to Angewomon with a warm smile. "It is now." She replied kindly, unable to hide her pleasure at fighting along side another mighty female digimon, and the well-respected MagnaAngemon.

Hearts stopped beating, lungs held air captive, and teeth gritted, as crimson painted the sky.

"_Rip them apart._"

The demon's voice hissed through the air, floating on wings of animosity. And darkness' minions roared in response to their Master's command, before diving downward, ready to carry the orders out.

The forces of good met those of evil, mid way in the sky, and bodies from both sides fell instantly.

A Gigadramon sent out a Guilty Wing attack, that decapitated a Devidramon's head. The dragon's bloodied skull fell to the ground, and smashed open before it reconfigured, the body floated in the sky for a moment, then burst into pieces of data.

One of the BlackGargoylemon used their Black Statue attack, to turn a Wizardmon to stone. The wizard then crashed to the ground, and broke into ribbons of data.

Bakemon and Soulmon ganged up on Garudamon and MegaKabuterimon, sending their Evil Charm and Soul Cry attacks, relentless upon the two ultimates.

WaruMonzaemon floated down to the ground, along with six BlackGargoylemon, and this force fought against Angewomon and MagnaAngemon.

WarGreymon had taken to the sky, where his attacks collided with those of Megidramon. The two mega dragons fought a battle of power and strength above, and were left alone by all outside interference.

"We're not doing too well!" Kari cried in fright, as she watched a FlaWizardmon use a "Fire Could" attack to burn a Bakemon alive, only to have a Gigadramon destroy him from behind, with a Gigabyte Wing attack.

TK shook his head, banishing Kari's words from his mind. 'We'll win, we have to, there is just too much at stake.' The Child of Hope thought desperately, as baby blue eye scanned over the battle flied, until, at last, they rested upon the only human there.

"And another one bits the dust." Matt sang softly, as the BlackGargoylemon, whose neck he had just broken, dissolved. The blonde had hoped that, by focusing on the song, he would not be tempted to look above him, where a multitude of enemies floated.

Only a third of Deamon's army had now engaged in battle, and that was including the Deathmon they had destroyed earlier. The whole situation seemed hopeless, and the blonde could tell that the demon was only playing with them.

A Gigadramon released a Guilty Wing attack straight for Matt, and the blonde jumped out of the way, not wanting to waste his energy on blocking the attack. 

The blast hit the pavement with a crash, causing a crater as it impacted. 

Once the attack hit, Matt looked up at the Gigadramon, his eyes glaring coldly, as a smirk spread across his lips.

The Android Dragon's eyes widened in fright, and the beast tried to fly away, knowing it had made a mistake in attacking the teen, but it was too late. Matt placed his hands over his heart. They began to glow a dark blue, and then he pulled them off of his chest, and cupped them as though he were holding and insect. Then he pulled his hands apart, and a bright blue sphere was revealed. The sphere grew in volume as Matt's hands pulled further apart, and then the sphere was sent flying.

The ball of energy crashed into the dragon's back, and engulfed it. The trapped creature let out a mechanic shrill, before the energy began to eat its metallic body away like acid.

"And another one down, and another one down…" Matt continued to sing, as he turned to a flock of Bakemon behind him.

The angels had split apart now. Sorcermon joined with MagnaAngemon, and together they took on WaruMonzaemon, who was far more powerful then they had imagined.

As this was going on, Angewomon went to help the Renamon and champion digimon, who were struggling in the defensive line. The two FlaWizardmon were covering the middle of the line, along with X-Veemon, while the Wizardmon were placed on the left side, along with the General Renamon and BlackRenamon. Aquilamon and Ankylomon, were covering the right side, but the enemy was pressing down upon the line hard.

Two more of the Renamon had been destroyed by stray attacks, one from a Soulmon and one from a Gigadramon, and the rest were badly injured.

Angewomon knew that the line would not hold much longer, so she went to help strength it.

A flock of Bakemon pounded attack after attack upon the middle of the line. Occasionally one would fall to a Magic Ignition attack from the FlaWizardmon or a V Lazier from X-Veemon, but as soon as one fell, another was quickly there, ready to take the fallen one's place. 

One Deathmon, and a swarm of Soulmon, were pushing down upon the left side. The General Renamon sent out a Diamond storm attack, which sliced through one of the Soulmon, but in return for her efforts, another Soulmon released a NERCO Magic attack, that hit Renamon in the chest. The blow sent the rookie to the ground.

One of the Wizardmon rushed to the General's side, ready to tend to her injuries, while BlackRenamon and the other Wizardmon held the line.

"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon's voice rang out like a sweet melody, despite the obvious anger in her tone.

The arrow of holy light was released from the feathered bow, piercing a BlackGargoylemon in the chest. 

The fallen angel, looked down for an instance, surprised to see the deadly wound, before its body reconfigured.

Angewomon had moved to the right side of the defensive line, deciding, that her strength would be best put to use in helping Aquilamon and Ankylomon against the flock of BlackGargoylemon, and the three Deathmon, which were closing in on the line.

"Be careful Angewomon!" Kari shouted from her place behind the defensive line. 

The battle was right before the Child of Light, and tears slid down her cheeks, as she felt every blow, that pounded upon her partner.

The Angel digimon tried to smile reassuringly at her distressed partner, but the smile faded quickly, as the BlackGargoylemon turned their full focus upon her.

Together three of the fallen angels released their White Statue attack, sending a wave of white energy towards the _meddlesome_ angel.

Angewomon saw the waves approaching her from both her right and front, and in a desperate attempt to avoid the white streams, she flew high into the air.

The Whit Statue attack rayed out beneath the ultimate, hitting a telephone pole and the side of a crumbling building. Instantly the pole turned into white stone, and a blotch of white rock spread over the side of the building, turning a portion of it into solid rock.

Once high in the air, Angewomon tried a Heaven's Charm attack. The aurora of iris light, spread over one of the Deathmon, stunning it so that it could not move. The light then moved toward the three BlackGargoylemon, but just as it was upon them, the fallen angels turned into black statues. The light passed over them, and they were unaffected. Once the light had faded they thawed and returned to life.

Angewomon fluttered back in shock, her most powerful attack was useless upon these creatures, and their swiftness made her Celestial Arrow attack just as futile.

The BlackGargoylemon growled in annoyance, then flew into a circle, surrounding the Lady Angel.

The ultimate turned her head from side to side, trying to find an escape from the fallen angels, but it was no use, they out numbered, and she had no where to flee.

"Black Statue!" six of the BlackGargoylemon screeched in unison, and a wave of darkness flew from their wings at an unimaginable speed.

Angewomon had no were to run, the powerful attacks were upon her, and the dark waves hit. She screamed in agony, as her body was beaten upon from all sides. White feathers flew around her, once the waves ripped them from her wings, and slices appeared upon her chest, arms, and legs. Crimson seeped from the thin but deep cuts, soaking her clothes, and staining her wings, and then she fell. Her body crumbled on the ground, her wings limp and her body bleeding.

"Angewomon!" Kari cried, upon seeing her partner fall, and then without thinking, the Child of Light dashed from behind the defensive line.

Aquilamon's and Ankylomon's attention was, at the moment, upon a Deathmon, who was trying to brake the weakened line from the right, so there was nothing to stop the young girl from her mad run to her fallen friend.

"Kari!" Tai cried, once realizing that his sister had run passed the line, and was now at her partner's side.

"Angewomon…" the young girl wept, as tears blinded her eyes, and sorrow turned her legs to mush, causing her to fall to her knees beside the Celestial being. "Please wake up… please…" she sobbed, as she ran a hand through the unconscious angel's long golden hair.

A voice above chuckled in amusement. There below him was a bloodied and weakened angel, and beside her was the girl. The Child of Light. He hated this little irritation, almost as much as he hated the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. And now there she was, defenseless, and unaware that his deadly gaze had fallen upon her.

__

'At last I can rid myself of you, as I should have done the first time you entered my domain.' 

Thoughts of malice and pain circled in Deamon's twisted mind, and he grinned, finding more joy in the simple thought of killing this girl, then he had in tormenting her all of her years as a Chosen Child.

"Evil Flapping!" 

The voice was cured and sadistic, as darkness in the form of black wings without a body, flew from the Dark Area digimon's back.

The wings soar through the sky, hissing as they flew towards their target.

"Angewomon…" Kari still pleaded, all else had disappeared, Deamon, her brother's frantic voice, and the wings of the Angel of Death approaching. Only her tears, and her partner's raspy breath existed, nothing else was real, and nothing else mattered.

"Kari no!" Tai screamed, as he tried pushing his way through the line in a desperate attempt to reach his sister.

The crude chuckling continued above, and the wings of death had arrived, flapping in impatient strokes, ready to take the child's life away.

Kari shut her eyes tight, suddenly aware of the attack, but finding no point in watching her death approach. She could feel the evil energy nearing, and then it happened, the crash, the sounds of a painful cry, muffled by the exploding energy, and then the thump of a body landing near by.

She breathed again, her mind screaming _"It was not you!"_ And she commanded her eyes to open, to look upon the face of her savior.

Crimson covered a body of shadow, and stained once pure white hair a deep red. Kari gasped in shook, confusion, and pain, as she saw the chest raise up and down in shattered breaths.

"Kari!" Tai cried in relief, once he reached his sister. Without another thought he was on the ground, pulling the young girl into his arms, showing no shame in the tears that now ran freely down his reddened cheeks.

After the shock had lifted, Tai pulled away, and followed his sister's gaze to the bloody and broken body, lying beside them.

He had felt it, known it would happen, even before the sun had rose that morning. He knew before he had taken his place on this ground, before the battle had begun, but nothing, not even knowing, could prepare him for it. 

He had felt the release of the attack, saw Kari weeping far away. There was no way he could have gotten there in time, no way another other could have made it either, and yet his mind still screamed the question, why? Why not someone else? But that question would never be answered, and so he abandoned all reason and raced from the field, leaving his people to fight.

Beside him ran his partner and Sorcermon, they knew as well, but not like he did. They knew after it had happened, maybe they saw it in those few brief seconds, were time seemed to stop, but that was nothing like him. He had known, that on this day, something precious would be taken from him, but he hadn't realized at that time, that it would be such a large piece of his soul.

He slid down on his knees; ignoring the rip it caused in his jeans, and forced himself to look.

Kari and Tai were on the opposite side, both staring in bewilderment and remorse. And WereGarurumon and Sorcermon were beside him, both allowing their tears to fall freely.

"No…no…" Matt whispered softly, his body shook all over, and his eyes leaked salty tears. "Ladydevimon…" he begged suddenly sounding like a lost child, wandering around in a maze of nightmares.

The fallen angel's chest rose and fell ,as she took in one painful breath after another. Scarlet eyes opened weakly, and red lips pulled into a small smile.

"Matt…" she breathed out, her voice sounding like an echo on the wind.

"You're going to be all right." Matt reassured sternly. 

The demon coughed painfully, the blood flowed from her chest in a flood of crimson, and the red soaked into Matt clothes.

The blonde looked frantically upon the dying creature, his mind circling in panic. "You can heal her right!" he demanded of Sorcermon, not even attempting to hide his pain.

Sorcermon's head dropped, and crystal drops fell from his saddened eyes, as he shook his head "no" in defeat.

Matt looked at the wizard, in agony, then turned back to the wheezing Ladydevimon. "Then I will heal you! I've done it before." He announced as he took the demon's fragile hand in his.

Ladydevimon looked upon the suffering boy with compassion and devotion. "Not this time My Lord." She whispered, like a fading light, which was slowly burning out. "There is a virus in me, the attack has rendered it, so that I can not be saved." 

Matt shook his head, in denial. "No!" he cried wretchedly. "No there has to be a way. You can not leave me!" he wept out, as his face paled and tears dripped down from his cheeks.

Ladydevimon smiled gently at the weeping boy, before she lifted a shaky hand, and placed it upon his warm cheek.

The blood upon her hand now dripped upon Matt's face, but he did not care, he didn't even realize.

WereGarurumon moved over to Ladydevimon, placing her head in his lap, while tears dampened his fur.

"What Ophanimon told you was not true Matt." She coughed out painfully. "We stand on the brink of a new age where darkness threatens to destroy all hope. All that fights for life, and the freedom to live, must unit in order to prevail against this threat." She warned softly. "The world has heard your song Matt, now you must convince them that it is real. And remember… that you will never be alone. I lived because of you, and I will live forever for you, My Lord… My friend."

And the light faded with her voice. Scarlet eyes closed shut forevermore, and Ladydevimon, Maiden of Darkness, Commanding General of the Nightmare Soldiers, and friend to Yamato Ishida, left all hatred and darkness behind. 

Her name was carved upon the stones of Inquiet Sepulcral, and her soul, found pure and worthy in the eyes of all, was sent to rest in Paradise, along with the mighty warriors of the Ancient Race. And so it was, that she was the first Nightmare Soldier, to earn her place beside the immortals of the Digital World.

The voice of a broken soul cried out in agony, as Matt fell upon his face and wept. 

WereGarurumon howled in morning, as was the custom for wolf digimon, and Sorcermon and Renamon fell into each other's arms, and cried softly.

Tai wanted to say something, he felt it his responsibility, after all Ladydevimon gave her life to save his sister, but the brunet could find no words. He didn't understand just how deep Matt's friendship for the demon ran until now. For now, his best friend, trembled and cried into the ground, begging for the demon to return, but his pleas were not answered, and he shook even greater because of it.

There was chuckling from above, pure pleasure. Deamon had never been as ecstatic as he was at the moment. His rival, the supposed _Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers_, now looked like a helpless child. The teen cried and moaned in sorrow, and the demon feed off of the sounds, finding them intoxicating.

The jeering continued from the Demon Lord, drowning out all sounds of the battle. As the laughing grew louder, the anger grew stronger inside of Matt. The rage built up, threatening to spill over in a see of destruction, but he contained himself, decided, that his hatred, would serve as fuel to destroy the beast above him.

Matt's head shot up, and suddenly he was on his feet, staring boldly at the demon.

"You will beg me to destroy you before I am done!" he cried in a voice so unlike his normal smooth tone. It rang, with rage and force, so much so, that all around him stepped back, afraid that he might wish to warm up, on one of them.

Deamon laughed in amusement. "You wish to destroy me? Very well" he spoke coldly, playing with the angered teen . "Then first you must find me." He hissed spitefully, as his body began to fade, until, at last, it was gone.

"Where did he go?" Tai cried in fright, while scanning over the area in search of the Dark Area digimon.

"I have never had a greater desire to kill before in my life." Matt whispered thoughtfully. 

The anger had faded, the sorrow was gone, and he was left completely numb inside.

WereGarurumon looked upon his partner, and he could see the change. The sudden solemn apathy, that made his fit of grief seem as though it never happened.

The werewolf wanted to say something to his friend, but there were no words that any could speak, which would undo what was done.

And before anymore could be said, Matt took off. He ran past the battle that, still raged on, despite the events that had just occurred, and he skid into an alley, disappearing into the darkness.

"Matt!" Tai cried in surprise, no one had expected the teen to simply take off like that, and the Child of Courage was suddenly afraid of what the blonde was planing to do.

"We must let him go Tai." WereGarurumon stated, causing the brunet to look at him in bafflement.

"But…" he tried arguing, however WereGarurumon only shook his head, silencing all abjection.

"Let's carry Angewomon behind the defensive line. Sorcermon can tend to her, while the rest of us return to the field." The ultimate stated, taking command in Matt's absence.

"But how can we" Sorcermon's sorrowful voice was cut off by WereGarurumon's gruff, but gentle tone.

"We must carry on. The battle is still there and we must fight until the day is won, or until we draw our last breath." 

And the battle went on as if nothing had changed.

While the war continued, a lost soul wandered through the darken alleys, searching for the object of his rage.

And from the heavens, scarlet eyes looked down upon the living, while a shadowed body found her place amongst the immortals.

~*~*~

Please if you're a Ladydevimon fan no flames. She is my favorite digimon, so I did not have her killed out of hate, I had her killed out of love. (that sounds even more pathetic on screen, then it does in my head.) 

"And now the end is near"… I don't know the rest of the song. One more chapter after this one, I'm excited. So what did you think? Were the battle scenes too descriptive, or not descriptive enough? Did the chapter flow well together? Was the emotion at Ladydevimon's death portrayed well? Please tell me what you think, I really would like to know what went well, and what stunk in this chapter.

Also, I probably won't update the next chapter as quickly as I did this one. I have final projects due for high school and finals coming up for college, so that's going to take up a lot of my time. But rest assured, I will still be working on this, despite the headaches of school, and I do hope to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but I have a feeling it's going to be the longest one yet. So brace yourself for that. Well please review.


	17. A New Age

A/N: okay you can't be too mad at me for taking so long because I did give you a fair warning. Actually I didn't intend to take this long, I took a week off for finals and then a week off for graduation, after that I fell into a huge exhaustion, I guess school finally took its tool. But none of that matters now because here it is the final chapter of Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers * Cheers *. Anyway like I said this chapter is the longest one and it may be a little drawn out, so if you get bored I apologies. 

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and thank you for your patients.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon, because obviously if I did there would be a lot of changes.

~*~*~

They lined in numbers, which seemed to surpass the stars. The weak fell quickly at their hands, while the strong fought nobly, only to be struck down and join the weak. Bodies of both good and evil crashed from the sky landing in mangled heaps upon the pavement. The bodies lingered on the battlefield, as the living trampled them thoughtlessly before they finally faded away.

Black, blue, purple, and red flashed in the sky. The wind howled scornfully at the blood bath on the streets, and the sky cried pitifully as darkness continued to torture it. Painful screams rang out, and powerful battle cries shook the ground. Darkness held greater numbers then the light, and the light was fading fast.

Already a pure soul had been ruthlessly ripped from the land of the living, and those she fought for were slowly loosing hope. Hundreds of baneful beasts scattered across the sky, swooping down and picking off one of their opponents at a time. 

The Nightmare Soldiers were dwindling down, and the Digidestined's partners were tiring fast. Deamon's army seemed to stretch out for an eternity, and they squirmed and squealed, knowing that victory was within their grasp, and that soon all light would fade forever.

Powerful flames clashed high in the heavens. Obscured by the thick umbra emitting from the tinctorial clouds, two dragons, of immense power and stature, fought a merciless battle of flames and claws. One was virus, the other vaccine. One was born of the fires of the inferno, while the other from the flames of courage. Both were equally matched in strength and determination. Victory was no where in sight, while defeat seemed even more unlikely. 

Megidramon howled like a vicious wolf, then cried out **Megid Flame**. The blast of fire flew towards his opponent, roaring and crackling as it streaked the sky.

WarGreymon took in a quick breath. His armor was dented and cracked. Blood trickled out of the deeper wounds, and his lungs felt as though they were on fire. Releasing the breath and clearing his mind he pulled his large silver shield in front of his body. The Crest of Courage no longer glistened flawlessly upon it; the multiple attacks had worn the shield down, brushing of the engraved sun so that it was barely visible.

WarGreymon hissed in pain as Megidramon's attack pushed him back and grazed his arms and shoulders. The flames managed to seep into the cracks in his armor, reaching the already sensitive flesh. The cuts that had been bleeding stopped, as the fire melted his skin back together clogging the blood flow, however the cuts were not nearly as painful as his now blistering flesh.

"Want more." The evil dragon digimon taunted.

WarGreymon returned his shield to his back, then glared at his opponent defiantly. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting warmed up!" the mega replied, trying to remain optimistic and to divert his attention away from the pain raking his body.

"_Good_." Came the pleased response, as Megidramon prepared another attack. "Dragon Howling!" 

An orange and red flame spilled from the evil mega's mouth and took the shape of a serpent with wings. The inflamed energy slithered in the sky towards its target.

WarGreymon's eye widened as the attack was upon him. The serpent had moved at the speed of light, and once it reached him it began to wrap around him. The vaccine howled and struggled against the energy that bounded him, but his efforts were to no avail. The flamed serpent hissed, ordering its prey to remain still, but WarGreymon paid the snake no heed. He continued to struggle, but this only infuriated the serpent, and so the creature began to glow. 

WarGreymon screamed in pain as the fire, wrapped around him, became more intense. His armor began to soften, making it easy for the serpent to pull tighter, bending his body in.

WarGreymon tried to use his claws to rip through the snake, but he was held too tightly and all hope of escaping was slowly burning away.

"You can do it Garudamon!" Sora encouraged from her place behind the defensive line. "Just hang in there!"

The holy beast-man digimon was currently fighting against two Gigadramon, and not performing well. The android dragons were both before and behind her, and her fire and wind based attacks were useless against their armor.

"Guilty Wing!" one of the ultimate dragons chanted, as it released its attack.

The Guilty Wing flew towards Garudamon at an amazing speed, however she managed to its power, by wrapping her body up in her eagle wings. 

The attack pounded against her, but she managed to stay in the air. Once she shook off the effects of the Guilty Wing, she prepared to release her own attack upon the Gigadramon in front of her. However her attempt was brought to a halt, as the android dragon behind her flew into her back, thrusting its claw like hands into her left wing and back.

Garudamon shrilled so loudly that several windows in the near by buildings began to vibrate and then shatter. The tiny fragments of glass scattered upon the ground, but their landing was not heard over the high-pitched cry. Some digimon and all of the humans were forced to cover their ears in an attempt to block out the piercing sound.

Gigadramon chuckled in amusement, then violently ripped its claws out from the ultimate's wing and back. A trail of blood arched in the sky and then fell to earth like crimson raindrops.

Garudamon groaned, then fell to the ground, crashing on the pavement below. She lay there shaking, and blood stained her tan feathers red. The last thing the holy-beast digimon remembered before she blacked out, was the sound of her partner crying her name.

"Let go! I have to help her!" the normally gentle voice of the Child of Love screamed out, directing her anger towards the two young men holding her back.

"Sora it's too dangerous!" Joe replied seriously, hoping to get through to his friend.

Izzy, the other young man trying to keep his grip on the athletic girl, nodded in agreement as he tightened his grip on Sora's wrist.

"MegiKabuterimon!" the red headed computer whiz shouted, gaining him the attention of his insectiod partner. "Protect Garudamon!" he ordered over the noise around him.

The mega beetle looked confused at first, then scanned over the field until his eyes rested upon his fallen friend. He tried to suppress a gasp of disgust and concern but it escaped his lips anyway. The ultimate wasted no time; quickly it was hovering over Garudamon, ready to pick up where the bird digimon left off.

"We have to get Garudamon out of there." Izzy stated, earning him an agreeing nod from Joe.

The navy hair teen looked over the field. In the last couple of minutes his partner had been pushed further into the heart of the battle. The eldest of the Digidestined shuddered, as he looked deeper into the battle. 'And I thought the fight over here was bad.' He mused disturbingly to himself. 

The Nightmare Soldiers had taken it upon themselves to deal with the greatest threat, and that was in the vast number of Deamon's troops in the center of the field. They were greatly outnumbered, and their forces were falling fast. Joe forced himself not to focus on the pools of blood, which instantly made him queasy, or the dismembered limbs that littered the road; instead he tried to keep his mind on his appointed task.

'Where's Zudomon?' panic began to rise in the teen's gut, but his worries soon subsided as he found his partner. The great ultimate was on the outskirts of the main battle, trying to hold the line, so that Deamon's forces could not push any closer to the Digidestined.

"Aquilamon!" Joe shouted to the eagle digimon hovering above the skirmish line.

The champion digimon tilted his head towards the teen, as his amazing hearing aloud him to instantly find the one calling his name.

"I need Zudomon to carry Garudamon behind the line!" Joe cried as loudly as possible.

Aquilamon nodded understanding the teen's order, and was instantly flying towards the center of the field, despite Yolie's concerned cries. 

"Thanks Joe, Izzy." Sora stated in appreciation to the two boy's efforts.

"With her body being vaccine she should be able to heal quickly, but I'm still going to do everything I can to speed the process along." A kind and enchanting voice, stated gently.

Kari and Tai both nodded a silent "thank you" to Sorcermon, who was currently looking over the unconscious Angewomon.

WereGarurumon stood close by, his muscular arms were crossed over his chest, as he watched Sorcermon give his diagnosis of the angelic digimon.

Sorcermon, once explaining that he would have to wait until the angel's own natural defenses began to operate before he could heal her, stood up and walked over to his commanding general.

"We will need her on the field as soon as possible." The werewolf explained with no emotion.

Sorcermon nodded in understanding, and both turned and began to walk away from the two Digidestined and the injured Angewomon. 

WereGarurumon chose to ignore the angered look he had received from Tai over his "disinterest" in Angewomon's condition, and kept his focus on Sorcermon.

"How is she really?" WereGarurumon asked sadly, once out of the other's hearing range.

"She is badly damaged and infected with a virus, but her attributes will allow her to heal quickly." The wizard explained seriously.

"General WereGarurumon." 

WereGarurumon looked up at the sound of his name and saw BlackRenamon, standing to the side waiting for permission to speak.

"Yes?" he asked quickly.

"General Renamon wishes for permission to return to the field." She announced smoothly.

"The defensive line is already very weak." WereGarurumon mused aloud, before stealing a quick glance at the heart of the battle. 'We're falling fast out there, and without Ladydevimon to lead her division our lines have broken into chaos.'

"Tell Renamon permission granted, also inform her that she is now in control over Ladydevimon's divisions. And I want constant status reports on her strategies." He explained.

BlackRenamon bowed, in one smooth fluent movement, then vanished.

"I can recall some of my division to strengthen the defensive line." Sorcermon offered.

"No." WereGarurumon replied calmly. "We need to keep our focus on the heart of the battle, if we don't destroy them soon, they will destroy us." He explained strongly, taking his place as commander.

"I will return to Angewomon." Sorcermon announced before turning to leave.

"Sorcermon," WereGarurumon called out, before the wizard could walk away.

The champion digimon turned around and looked at his commander curiously.

"We must be prepared for the fact that Matt may not come back." 

Sorcermon's eyes instantly looked on the ground below, the very thought of his Lord's death caused tears to glisten in his crystal eyes. "Yes General." he replied solemnly before turning away again, and heading back to his patient.

WereGarurumon never once turned back to the wizard, he couldn't let anyone, not even his close friend, see the tears that slid from his eyes. It was his job to prepare for any possibility; not even his faith in his partner could out way his place.

"'Thy soul shall find itself alone

'Mid dark thoughts of the gray tomb-stone-

Not one, of all the crowd, to pry

Into thine hour of secrecy:'"

The yellow eyes, as dim and enchanting as a full moon, shone with unshed tears, as he chanted the words of his partner's fate. Tonight Matt will rebuild the wall higher and stronger than before. "If darkness will help you survive then embrace it and come back." One last tear trailed down the ultimate's face, dampening his white fur, before he took into the blood field.

~*~*~

The witching hour had come, calling all ghost and thieves out to play. Shadows fell from heaven and rose from hell. Wickedness conquered thoughts and built illusions in the twilight, feeding off the darkness and the chilled air. The Angel of Death laid in the darkness. Lifeless eyes reflected the bloodshed and tears of this night. Already so many had been cradled in his arms and carried away on black wings, and yet there were so many he had yet to taste. And in the shadows he floated alone, an ominous being cursed to carry souls from life to limbo. 

His attention rested upon the corpses that scattered over a long stretch. There were so many, causing even his soulless form to shutter. But he did not turn away. His lifeless eyes gave their message of death to the multitudes. He would carry many away this night, each face, both vile and beautiful, were lodged in his memory. But he did not see them as most, he did not see smiles and laughter or wickedness and sin, he saw the flawless cold. His eyes reflected the emptiness, the beautiful pale emptiness of death. But in this shadowed hour, one face managed to allude him. He could turn any very much a live face, into a beautiful pale corpse, but this one seemed to rebuke the eyes of death. This one could not be found, or even seen, because in his heart, he was already dying.

The sounds of the battle were so far off, like the flapping of an angel's wing; they grew softer and softer until they slowly faded into silence. But even when the cries and crashes had reached his ears, he did not hear them. He could hear nothing above his pulse. 

The wind howled through the narrow alleys, tugging at his clothes and hair playfully, but he dismissed its invitation for fun. He had forgotten the cold and the darkness; even the blood, which soaked his clothes, caked in his golden hair, and was splattered upon his face, drifted from all recollection. The smell of the blood, sweat, and the musky ally fizzled out in his nostrils before his brain could register just how nauseating the scents were. His crystal eyes saw none of the shadows before him. Rodents scurried around him, disturbing trashcans, but he couldn't hear their squeaking and scratching.

The steps he took were slow and cautious. He walked down the center of the ally, stepping over puddles of dirty water and debris as he went. The sky still cracked above him, but he no longer held any sympathy for its pain, after all, who was not suffering today?

'Is it wrong to wish it had been someone else?' the blonde thought over the possibilities. If it had been some nameless Nightmare Soldier then he would have thought little of it. In a war you expect casualties, so why was this so difficult to accept? 'Why did it have to be you? It could have been anyone else. One of the other Nightmare Soldiers or one of the Digidestined's partners…'

At this thought the thin teen began to tremble. He didn't know why he was thinking such selfish thoughts; it wasn't in his nature. His nature was to give and protect, not to selfishly ask for more or to be overlooked by whatever force decides who feels grieve. But never in his life had he felt such grieve, even when his family was ripped apart; and never in his life had he felt such hatred. 

The rage was like a fire burning away his insides, so that he felt hallow and empty. His once gentle azure eyes darkened to midnight blue, and a tent of black washed over them so that he saw the world as one great darkness sent to haunt and torment him. 

The burning inside was excruciating; he could feel the flame eating away at him and was forced to clutch his stomach in an attempt to ease away the pain. The fire pounded in his head and he began to sweat. Blonde locks stuck to his damp forehead, but he couldn't care less about his hair falling into disarray. 

His flesh began to tingle and then sting, until at last it felt like sandpaper being rubbed roughly over his entire body. He gritted his teeth in pain and shut his eyes tightly, trying to both subdue the burning and block out the illusion of total darkness. But once his eyes were closed red flashed over them and soon a shrill ringing blared in his ears. The ringing grew louder until the sound began to imitate words. 

__

"You are so weak."

"You failed to protect Ladydevimon, who next will you fail to save?"

"Perhaps next you'll kill Taichi, or Takure."

The voice jeered, scorning the teen's pain.

"I didn't kill her!" Matt screamed trying to silence the voice as he placed his white shaky palms over his ears. "She made a choice, there was nothing I could do!" 

He tried arguing, but not even he believed it. He lost his friend, and what if he lost another?

__

"Of course it was not strictly your incompetence that destroyed her; Deamon also assisted in her death." 

The voice offered causally.

"Deamon…" the blonde hissed out, the rage within him boiling over. He screamed as the fire grew, the burning pushed through his organs and veins, until it finally radiated off of his skin. 

"Why suffer alone? Others should feel your pain."

The voice spoke sweetly to the tormented boy, hoping to entice him with its suggestion.

"I can't…" he whispered forcing back some of the burning pain, "I can't act on hate! It will only destroy me. I should fight Deamon to protect others from suffering…" he tried arguing, but he knew his rationalizing would ultimately fail. 

__

"But you are suffering now. And look at your friends and brother, they suffer now as well."

"They wouldn't want me to be like this…" he whimpered back, hoping to silence the voice's arguments.

__

"But they are not here. They don't know what you're going through, but I do. You're in pain, but you can escape it."

"I don't want to escape it!" he cried. The burning grew stronger and he screamed, clutching his hair and ears in pain. Blue flames began to dance on his flesh, and the power was overwhelming. He could feel the strength that hatred gave him, burning deep inside. It was intoxicating and tormenting at the same time. He knew it was wrong, and yet the burning was far more bearable then the cold grip of sorrow.

Tears began to leak from his shadowed eyes and his body shook violently.

__

"This is who you are, embrace it. Feeding off of your anger is your nature, it will make you strong."

The voice continued, and somehow Matt knew that the voice was his.

__

"You are the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, embrace hatred, destroy your oppressor and be freed from your pain."

The voice commanded, feeling that it had won this argument. 

Matt gritted his teeth even harder, pain shot through his jaw and into his head. The burning grew stronger, the anger it was too much, and the power was too great, he had to find some sort of release from the fire.

"Embrace it."

The voice continued to seduce, now in a wicked serpent tone.

Matt began to shake, the power flared and burned. He was hallow and numb inside and he could take no more of the voice, of his, mocking.

"Just! Shut! Up!" he shouted loudly, as he shot up straight from his crouch position. A fire blazed in his eyes, burning away the darkness, and he released his hold on his ears and hair. The energy glowing off of his skin brightened and beamed. 

He shot his head to the side seeing a defenseless steel trash can. With an angered grunt, his skin grew brighter and he threw his hand forward. A sphere of energy went whirling towards the trashcan, where it impacted and reduced the can to ashes. 

The blonde then shot his head to the side, where he saw a dumpsture resting a few feet behind him. His eyes began to glow, loosing their blue tent and turning completely white. His breathing quickened and he released another sphere of energy, which exploded the dumpster, scattering pieces of metal and trash over the alley.

The fire burned brighter, and he screamed in pain, the power was more than any human could handle, and it ripped at his skin, trying to find it's way into the world. The flesh on his hands began to split, and in-between his ribs long cuts appeared. He cried out again, begging the power to leave him alone.

Spheres of white energy began to fly in ever direction, taking chunks of bricks out of buildings and shattering windows. 

Then the young Lord lost all sense, he bit his lip hard, his mind barely aware of the taste of copper that linger on his tongue, as he ran to one of the building. Without think he began pounding on the brick wall with his right fist. He screamed and hit, wanting whatever it was that was happening within him to just stop. 

Tears blurred his vision and his mind raced. He couldn't focus on anything but the burning. Not even the pain of the skin on his knuckles splitting or the bones in his hands braking registered in his brain. He was only aware of the burning and the voice, that kept screaming for him to embrace the power.

Just as he felt he could take no more, something washed over him. Somehow the wind had picked up; blowing through the alleys with a stronger force then was naturally possible. The wind was like ice and it batted upon Matt's skin, freezing the fire and giving him relief on the outside.

He then stopped pounding the wall as the cold work its way from the outside in, changing the burning from a a raging fire to a small flame. His breathing began to even out, and the trembling slowly ended.

Matt placed both of his hands on the abused wall for support. He suddenly felt exhausted. His eyes and face soften, almost into a smile, as he allowed the cold wind to brush over him, gently soothing away his pain.

Blood still slipped from his cuts on his hands and chest, but even the stinging pain seemed to fade under the soft touch of the breeze.

The voice within him still spoke, and even began screaming, not liking that it was being ignored, but Matt paid no attention to it and soon another voice drowned it out.

__

"You will lose people along the way, but as long as you honor your memory of them and what they fought for, they will never truly leave you. Respect those who die in this war, by not letting their deaths, be the thing that defeats you"

"Forgive me Ladydevimon, allowing my hatred to over-take me shows no reverence to you, or your sacrifice." The young Lord spoke to the breeze, finding comfort in believing that his fallen friend could hear him.

He stood there a little longer, simply allowing the cold breeze to comfort him. Then he took a deep breath, steadying the last of his shaky nerves, before he pushed himself off of the wall and began to walk again.

__

"What are you doing?!"

The voice returned, demanding an explanation.

"I have an evil to destroy, and friends to get back to." Matt replied casually, as though he was speaking to someone right beside him, rather than a raving voice in his head.

"You do realize that just because you ignore these feelings doesn't mean they are not there. You can't get rid of them that easily."

The voice lectured in growing anger.

"I know," the blonde answered thoughtfully, "But if I give into them now, they will never go away." He stated in a resolved tone. "And like I said before, Shut up." 

The voice faded, knowing it had lost this battle, but one thing that it said was true, the feelings were still there and they were not just going to go away.

~*~*~

The sun had, and the full moon rose into the sky, its soft glow failed to penetrate the thick curtain of diabolical clouds, which fenced the earth from the heavens. The light from the ruler of night did not reach the earth, but its presence's behind the ghastly wall, was still known to the werewolf, who fought nobly on the field.

WereGarurumon had felt the sun sink slowly out of the hemisphere, and knew that the moon would soon grace the sky. But he could not see the orb of silver light, shinning like a comforting and familiar mother's glow upon him. He was a creature of the night, born of the darkness and nursed on Luna's silver veil, now she had return to take dominion over the heaven, but he could not see her. She was beyond his reach; it was simply another reason to destroy the atrocities before him.

Yellow eyes, eerie and strangely serene, stole a quick look to his side, where he saw a BlackGargoylemon diving towards him. The werewolf grunted in frustration at having his attention, momentarily, pulled away from the Gigadramon in front of him.

The BlackGargoylemon was as emotionless as stone. Without so much as a whisper, the virus fallen angel, pulled its long arm back, opening its three clawed fingers, and released a Black Statue attack.

Gargoylemon and BlackGargoylemon were truly amazing creatures. Their battle tactics were specifically developed to handle the diversities in their opponents. When fight a vaccine type they would use the Black Statue to attack and the White Statue as defense. The Black Statue would counter the vaccine type and infect them, turning them to stone, while the White Statue would cloak their data, causing any vaccine based attacks to pass over them. The opposite was used when fighting a virus, and either attack or defense was effective against data types.

WereGarurumon couldn't help the wave of bitterness that rose in his stomach at the thought of Deamon, and how the demon Lord corrupted these Nightmare Soldiers. The thought that he was destroying his own people was nerve raking, but there was nothing he could do. If he did not fight and destroy, then he would be destroyed.

The black spell came closer to the werewolf, brining his attention back to the battle. When the attack was upon him, the ultimate leapt into the air, flipping three times to the front, allowing the attack to pass under him, where it hit the pavement, turning the area, that the werewolf had been standing on, into ash colored stone.

WereGarurumon fell back to the ground and landed softly on the stone. He was now on one knee, with his left hand placed on the gray-black stone for balance. 

BlackGargoylemon halted in the air, hissing in disappointment at not having a new stone figurine to play with, before it flapped its raven like wings, pushing itself higher into the air, so that it could better evaluate its victim.

WereGarurumon kept his head down for a moment, his yellow eyes were burning with the heat of battle, and his canine teeth grinned together in anticipation.

On one side was a Gigadramon; ready to obliterate him with a powerful blast of energy, and above him was a BlackGargoylemon, who was thinking over its next move patiently. The werewolf digimon began to grow offended at how long his opponents were taking to attack. They should fear him enough to want to get him out of the way, but obviously he had not left a deep enough mark upon his enemies to earn their terror.

'Perhaps I should rectify that.' The ultimate mused thoughtfully.

Without hesitation the vaccine digimon shot his head up, glaring daggers and omens at the corrupted fallen angel.

"You'll be first." He announced darkly, causing the cautious digimon to flutter back a bit in surprise.

The BlackGargoylemon was shocked by the threatening aura it received from the ultimate below, however it dismissed it, and readied to make a dive at the arrogant werewolf.

WereGarurumon crouched down low, tightening his muscles as he prepared for the attack.

The BlackGargoylemon dove down, its raven wings splitting the air, as it pulled his long arms into position, ready to slash at the waiting ultimate.

WereGarurumon smirked confidently as his opponent approached. Without waiting for the champion to reach him, the werewolf jumped into the air. 

BlackGargoylemon raised its long bony arms, ready to bring its sharp talons down upon the stripped digimon, but before the claws could reach the ultimate's right shoulder and face, WereGarurumon brought up his own arm, meeting the attack with his sharp hunter's claws.

BlackGargoylemon howled as two of the talons on its right hand were ripped from his fingertips. The sharp claws were yanked off when WereGarurumon meet its attack, and then fell to the ground with pieces of bloodied skin still attached to them.

The fallen angel pulled away from the werewolf's clutches, and fluttered back a bit. It looked at its injured hand for a moment, examining the damage, and then it nursed its wounds by licking the blood dripping from its fingers.

WereGarurumon fell back to the ground, landing softly on his feet. He wanted to continue with the fallen angel, however Gigadramon had moved up behind him, and he sensed that the ultimate was charging up for an attack.

Quickly the werewolf jolted around to face his other opponent. He charged the android digimon, evading its Gigabyte Wing attack by dashing to the side. 

Gigadramon tried releasing its Guilty Wing attack in an attempted to stop its charging enemy, however WereGarurumon simply used his Wolf Claw attack to slice through the wave of energy. 

WereGarurumon reached Gigadramon, who was still recovering from releasing its other attack, and used an upper cut to lodge the spikes on his claws in one of the android's only vulnerable spots, its neck. The spikes pierced through the dragon's neck, and WereGarurumon twisted his wrist a little as he pulled away, making certain that he caused enough damage with the attack.

Gigadramon screeched hoarsely before it began to choke from the damage done to its throat. Purple colored oil leaked and dripped over its mouth and out of the wounds in its throat, before the android began to brake up into data particles.

WereGarurumon's smirk faded as he watched his opponent dissolve. That was one evil down, but many more to go. The Commanding General of the Nightmare Soldiers watched as the last of his enemy faded, before releasing a low threatening growl.

Suddenly he spun around in a quick kick. The thick, sharp claws on his feet collided with BlackGargoylemon's side.

The fallen angel had moved up behind the werewolf, and was about to use its Black Statue attack to turn the vaccine into stone, but the ultimate's keen senses allowed him to feel the presence of another threat, and so the champion digimon's effort ultimately failed.

WereGarurumon's sharp claws dug into BlackGargoylemon's side, and the virus digimon screeched from the power of the blow, before jerking away. It clutched its left side with its right hand, but blood from the three punctures still managed to seep through its fingers.

WereGarurumon would not admit it then, but he was greatly impressed with the BlackGargoylemon's capabilities. Their ultimate allies fell like flies, but even when receiving fatal wounds, this creature managed to hold tightly to life. The ultimate could only assume that the cause behind their strength was the heritage as Nightmare Soldiers.

"You don't have to do this." The werewolf persuaded eagerly. "You could come back to your people, leave Deamon, he's only using you."

BlackGargoylemon titled its head curiously, as though it did not understand the nature of speech, then it ran a dark blue serpent tongue over it lips, before moving back into a battle ready position.

WereGarurumon shook his head sadly; there would be no persuading the defective ones. Deamon's corruption ran too deep, and so he had no choice, he had to destroy them.

BlackGargoylemon hissed then charged. It was unable to take flight again, the wounds in its side were already bleeding greatly, and the movement of flight would only rip the lesions more.

WereGarurumon also charged, putting up his fist, ready to receive the first attack.

BlackGargoylemon pulled its right hand off of its wounds and brought it down upon the ultimate, trying to slash through his chest.

WereGarurumon brought his left arm up to block the attack, the fallen angel's claws slashed through his skin, causing him to grit his teeth. The wounds, however, were not very deep and the stinging soon escaped his thoughts. 

BlackGargoylemon pulled back, and WereGarurumon brought his arm down. Then the virus digimon spun around with amazing speed, using its tale to slam into WereGarurumon's knee.

The ultimate grunted, as the sudden blow knocked him to one knee. 

BlackGargoylemon moved in, ready to use its Black Statue attacks again, however, WereGarurumon jumped up and caught the champion's wrist, preventing it from using its hands. The werewolf tightened his grip on the fallen angel's wrist, spraining the muscles with his hold. He then threw his neck forward, hitting the fallen angel's narrow skull with his.

The BlackGargoylemon groaned, as its weak skull was bruise and cracked from WereGarurumon's powerful blow. It yanked away freeing itself from the ultimate grasp, then clutched its head in pain, as dizziness swept over it.

WereGarurumon watched his opponent whimper and shake from its concussion, but the champion still refused to give up, or to allow darkness to take it away.

BlackGargoylemon shook its head slightly, then held up its claws again, hoping to at least cause some damage before its death.

WereGarurumon looked at the fighting digimon with respect. "I'm sorry I must do this." He replied sadly, then leapt into the air and cried "Wolf Claw!"

His great claws slashed though the fallen angel's body with perfect ease. 

BlackGargoylemon screeched in pain, as three X's were slashed from its shoulders to its knees.

WereGarurumon stood back and watched silently as trails of crimson slipped from the slashes and began to trickle down, braking off into data as it dripped from his opponent's body. 

The BlackGargoylemon hung its head, then nodded at the ultimate, acknowledging him as the victor, before its body broke apart into slithers, and dissolved into data.

WereGarurumon kept his eyes on the spot where one of his own faded away before he whispered, "Rest in peace warrior of stone" then turned, and headed deeper into the battle, taking out Bakemon with single attacks as he went.

On the outskirts of the field another battle raged on. Sorcermon, along with six Wizardmon and four Flawizardmon, were desperately trying to keep the enemy from moving into the alleys. Sorcermon was not an expert on battle plans, but he did know that it would be dangerous, both to the Nightmare Soldiers and to the city, if the evil began to spread off the field.

__

'We must keep the enemy contained, if they brake up we will be forced to divided our troops. We must kill them all, here and now or all hope is lost.' 

Sorcermon encouraged telepathically. Their army was out numbered at least three to one, but that number was quickly going up. They were being slaughtered by Deamon's overwhelming forces, and the Nightmare Soldiers that were still alive, were tired and injured.

The skeletons of the battle lay around him, and Sorcermon could not help but cringe at the sight. He was a healer, and digimon of enlightenment, and all of this destruction felt like daggers ripping through his heart. He could not stand to see such suffering, but running or simply ignoring it was not the answer. He was never the type to preach an ideal like freedom or peace, without being willing to back his words up. 

He knew so many digimon that raved and bragged on how this war was right, and how the Nightmare Soldiers would win without braking a sweat, but where were those digimon now? Where were the ones who were so ready to kill and hate? He could never understand the want for war. Anyone who wanted war obviously had never been in one, or were never forced to see a love one march into one. He didn't want this war, but he knew it was a necessity. He believed in peace and freedom. He knew Deamon was nothing but a tyrant, and he knew that the Demon Lord had to be stopped. If they didn't stop him two worlds would be destroyed; he knew there was a need, and so he was here, ready to do what he could.

'I will fight for what I believe in. I will respect all who die in this war, even my enemy, for they fight for what they believe in as well. And if my life will help bring a future without hate, then I will gladly give it.'

With these thoughts in mind, Sorcermon shook off his feelings of grieve, at the sight of so many dead, and turned aback to the battle.

Bakemon and Soulmon gathered, trying to push through, however the combination of the wizards of thunder, fire, and ice put up a great defense against the phantoms of the Digital World.

"Crystal Cloud!" Sorcermon chanted out, as a Bakemon approached him from the right side.

The sphere of white energy soared towards the ghost digimon, hitting him directly in the face. 

The Bakemon hooted wildly as the sphere it. Three of its grotesque teeth were shattered into pieces of blackened data, while the remaining five were ripped painfully from their gums. The Bakemon went silent as the sphere burnt its long blood-red tongue and forcefully pushed down its reeking esophagus.

Sorcermon pulled back from the ghost and watched as beams of white light began to burn through the Bakemon's white rigid cloth. The sphere had reached the ghost's stomach, and was melting its invisible organs. 

The Bakemon wanted to scream out in misery but the sphere had burnt and ripped its larynx on the way down its throat, making it impossible for the specter to verbalize anything. It shook and wrapped its stubby arms around its chest, as the sphere grew within its stomach. The beams of white light poured through the tattered sheet, streaming out in powerful rays of magical light. The Bakemon vibrated uncontrollable, as its data was sped up by the energy within it. It shut its coal black eyes in pain, wincing as its data began to spread apart. Soon its data was moving so quickly, that it could not keep its physical form together. The white sheet began to slowly dissolve into pieces of gray and black particles, and soon the invisible form underneath too faded away.

Sorcermon had little time to gloat, or even comprehend his victory over the ghost digimon, because as soon as the creature had reconfigured, another Bakemon, along with a Soulmon, moved up behind him.

The Bakemon hissed mockingly at the wizard, then resealed an Evil Charm attack.

The dark energy flew towards Sorcermon, and the wizard growled in annoyance as he felt the phantom power approaching him. A gloved hand gripped the wizard's staff tightly, as the darkness drew near, then with a startling battle cry, Sorcermon spun around using his staff to slice through the Evil Charm attack, which fizzled out upon contact with the glowing staff.

Bakemon growled, spitefully cursing the wizard for ruining its fun before trying another attack. The Zombie Claw attack came shooting towards the General, and was soon joined by Soulmon's Soul Cry attack.

Sorcermon's eyes narrowed upon the approaching attack, as he quickly went through the best strategy for dealing with these two _nuisances_.

The Zombie Claw was now directly above Sorcermon's head, and the Soul Cry attack was zooming towards him at an alarming rate. Quickly the wizard raised his staff. The Zombie Claw fell connecting with the glowing staff. Sorcermon grunted as he forcefully pushed the clawed hand back, which was then retracted by its owner, and moved to deal with the next attack. 

Quickly the sorcerer uttered a spell, and the Soul Cry fell upon him, but slid past and around him like oil slides over water. 

Both ghost digimon were now enraged. Their attacks had proven ineffective against the powerful wizard, and their opponent stood before them smirking confidently, knowing that he was superior to these mindless creatures.

Sorcermon did not wait for the phantoms to retaliate; instead he floated into the air, and pulled back his free hand. A glow of white and light blue energy appeared, before he threw his hand forward crying out "Crystal Cloud!" 

The attack flew toward the Bakemon, hitting it in the chest. One loud cry was released before the ghost digimon broke into particles of data.

Soulmon never once turned its gaze to its defeated comrade, instead it kept its eyes locked upon its opponent. While Sorcermon was busy with the Bakemon, Soulmon released its Necro Magic attack. 

Sorcermon floated back after he released his wrath upon the Bakemon, and turned his attention towards the Soulmon. He had been so distracted with destroying the Bakemon, that he hadn't sensed the Necro Magic attack heading straight for him. He had no time to create a spell, and the evil attack collided with him, hitting him on his mid left arm and his left side.

Soulmon giggled with glee as it watched the wizard get knocked to the ground. It then smirked in excitement while it fluttered towards its injured victim.

Sorcermon groaned in pain. His body shook with each raspy breath, and his right hand clutched his left side in agony. The great numbers pushed against the Nightmare Soldiers, were surly making the point that they had the advantage.

Soulmon moved slowly to the fallen wizard. Its long red tongue ran over its sharp decaying teeth as it circled the shaking champion, wondering what would be the best way to finish the annoying rebel off. 

Sorcermon shut his eyes tightly. He could feel the Soulmon circling him with malicious and savage thoughts circling its mind. He knew that he was badly injured, and that he would need some time to regain his strength before he could use a healing spell upon himself, but he doubted that his opponent would allow him such time.

Soulmon circled four times before he stopped in front of the wizard. Its black witch's hat, flopped in the breeze, and it snorted and chuckled at the sight of the battered General. 

Sorcermon paid no attention to his opponent, causing the Soulmon to grow annoyed. If he could not have fun with the beaten digimon then there was no point in keeping him around any longer.

"Soul Cry!" the ghost howled, now bored with taunting the wizard.

Sorcermon heard the call and felt the attack approaching. 

The Soul Cry was only inches from its target, ready to collide and delete another General of the Nightmare Soldiers forever.

Sorcermon took in a deep breath, and prayed and pleaded for the strength to keep fighting. 'I ca not die, not until this is over!' he shouted strongly in his mind.

Just when the sorcerer thought hope was lost, something washed over him. He felt the breeze; it was like ice, but still soothing. It was a cold but needed awaking, and suddenly Sorcermon felt himself infused with enough strength to survive.

The Soul Cry attack was about to hit, when suddenly Sorcermon jumped up. His staff ignited with a blazing fire of white and blue energy. And with a determined shout, Sorcermon swung his staff, slicing through the attack, leaving the two halves to pass around him, where they hit the buildings in the background. 

Soulmon gritted its teeth in aggravation, before pulling back. "Necro Magic!" he cried, as he released another attack.

This time Sorcermon did not wait for the attack to reach him, he charged at the approaching darkness, holding up his hand as he shouted a spell. The spell started out as a sphere of energy within his hand, but quickly began to alter until it molded into the form of a raven. The magical bird cawed eerily, before diving towards the Necro Magic attack.

Soulmon watched in wonder, as the raven flew into the black energy. Another caw was heard before the two energies exploded, canceling each other out.

While Soulmon was entranced in wonderment, Sorcermon was quickly approaching. He ran through the dust caused by the explosions, appearing on the other side, with eyes gleaming and staff ready.

Soulmon shook its head, awakening from its trance, then growled wickedly at the wizard. 

Sorcermon swung his staff like a sword, but Soulmon ducked under the blow, then threw its clawed hand forward, hoping to slice through Sorcermon's side.

Sorcermon caught the attack with his free hand, then glared at the ghost digimon. 

Soulmon tried to wiggle free but found his effort useless. It screeched calling out for help, but none came. The Wizardmon and Flawizardmon kept his comrades completely occupied, and now he was totally alone.

Sorcermon eyes softened as he looked his captive over, and for a moment the Soulmon thought he would receive mercy from the wizard. However, before the ghost could plead for forgiveness, Sorcermon swung his staff at the creature's head, knocking off its hat, and impaling its skull with his glowing staff.

Soulmon screeched and howled in pain, before its hat began to brake apart. Sorcermon kept his hold upon his opponent, and cringed slightly at the feeling of the ghost's arm, dissolving into data in his hand.

Soulmon's body completely dissolved, freeing Sorcermon's staff from its head as it broke apart.

Once the Soulmon's body was gone, Sorcermon looked down at his clasped hand. His fist was clutched tightly, and he looked upon it curiously, before finally opening it, releasing the last of Soulmon's data into the air.

Sorcermon shook, as he watched the handful of data fly about him, before being caught by the wind and carried off into the heavens. Once all threats around him were gone, he fell to the ground, using his staff for support. His injuries and exhaustion had finally claimed him, and he simply sat upon the ground, breathing deeply in an attempt to regain control of his power.

'I must regain my strength, there is still so much to do.'

~*~*~

The fire had subdued, but the chill lingered in the air, and the darkness still spread across the land. The shadows shifted over buildings and streets as ominous eidolon. All was unnaturally still, the world was dead, and the master of death was near.

Matt had been walking through the filthy alleys for nearly an hour, and still he had yet to find his prey. The vile creature he hunted had managed to allude him, but the blonde had no intention of ending his search. He would find the beast that murdered his companion and speared his heart. He would not allow another to suffer as he had. So much depended upon his victory, innocence, peace, hope, and so many lives, all of which have put their faith in his abilities.

He still felt the hatred. He had pushed the feelings aside, choosing to ignore them, but they were still there. The voice, his own conscience, united with those powerful feels, threatening to take over his mind and drive his sanity away, but he fought back, refusing to give in to such needless grief. But it didn't matter how hard he fought it, or how strongly he ignored it, the voice didn't leave, the feelings didn't fade.

'I thought I had defeated this side of myself. The final test with Cayla, was the first time I faced this side of myself. But I thought he was gone forever, that bitter little boy, who put the blame of his misery on everyone else while never trying to fight back. I thought that side of me was gone.'

He continued to walk, knowing that every time his steps died the rodents would scurry out of the shadows and run boldly across his tennis shoes. Deamon's presence was close, he could feel the darkness and animosity grow thicker in the air with each stride he took. The Deamon Lord had obviously not desired any interference during the battle to come, because he was leading Yamato deep into the abandoned city.

'But these feels are different. Before the resentment, the loneliness, all of it consumed me, drowning me in a sea of darkness and depression. It blinded me, froze me from the inside out, but these new feelings they are so different. They're like a fire, blazing on the inside. The fire is destroying me, and now I want to destroy others.'

Yamato bit the side of his lip, shaking his head slightly at his own rambling mind. He had specifically ordered himself to focus on nothing but his objective, his prey, but somehow he always came back to the overwhelming feelings weighing down on his soul. 

With one more blunt order to stay focused, the young Lord continued his journey.

It was strange, perhaps even morbid to see such a large city so desolate. So many homes had been abandoned, the shops were closed and empty, and the factories no longer roared with the sounds of machinery. The alleys, however, remained the same. It did not matter if millions of people occupied the large city, or if only one lonely teen walked in silence down their vacant paths, the alleys did not change. They were the back routs, the roads less traveled, and the rodents, stray cats, and the insects that lived there, did not care if the city was full or empty, they'd live off of the remains and then off of one another, until they're was nothing left.

'At least nature has a law. Eat or be eaten, no emotion involved. No hatred, resentment, or bitterness everything understands that it is simply survive or don't survive. But without such emotions as hatred, resentment, and bitterness, there would be no hope, faith, or compassion.'

Matt's steps slowed. His feet could no longer be heard lifting and landing lightly on the brick laid pathway. His enemy was close, so close that he could taste the crimson vapors in the air, reeking from the demon Lord's blood-covered lips and tongue. 

Crystal blue eyes scanned over the cross section, where Deamon's presence was the strongest. Trash cans and debris littered the alley floor, and a street lamp hung over to one side, the bulb shattered into tiny pieces upon the ground. Matt was thankful for his keen senses, without his extraordinary eyesight he would have never found his way through the alleys. But now his search was coming to a close, Deamon was near, all he had to do was find a way to get to the monster.

Matt turned his gaze from the cross section to the buildings around him. All four of the buildings were old, and abandoned long before the evacuation. The blonde was certain that if he looked close enough, or if he possessed a gift of sight, he would see spirits running about the buildings, thankful for a place to call their own. 

He looked over the buildings closely, until his eyes landed upon an old ladder connected to one of the buildings. The ladder appeared to be some kind of a fire escape, and it reached from the alley floor, all the way up to the top of the building.

'He's up there.' 

The blonde mused to himself, as he dashed towards the rusted ladder. He couldn't let the demon escape him, not this time. He had to end this; he had to bring an end to the suffering. 

Matt gripped the ladder tightly, tugging on it a little to make certain it was secure. He then began to scale the bars, ignoring the brownish-red that rubbed off of his hands as he griped the poles.

Within seconds he reached the top of the ten-story building. Cautiously, he climbed onto the three-foot ledge surrounding the cracked, concrete roof, and scanned over the area. There was nothing, no sings of life or activity. It was like a mausoleum, dead and cold.

Matt crouched on the balls of his feet and placed his left palm upon the pavement. He kept himself low, looking like a thief cloaked by shadows and moving in and out of the darkness as though both the caliginous and the scintillate held no meaning to him. Neither the darkness nor the light bound him; his cause was not for good or evil, but for life itself. 

He remained crouched in the shadows for sometime, waiting for his opponent to appear from the scorned penumbra, that the demon cursed upon the sky. Finally he found the waiting useless and slowly crawled off of the ledge, placing one foot down and then the other. His azure eyes seemed to glow in a dim radiance, as he quickly looked over the rooftops, hoping to catch a glimpse of the object of his animosity.

The blonde took a few soft steps, coming closer to the center of the building. The only company he appeared to have was three air conditioners, all of which did not work due to the black out. At his new altitude the wind was even heavier, and he shivered as the cold brushed over his pale face.

Soon the waiting began to build illusions in Yamato's mind. It was like the final hours before your death sentence is carried out. A chill ran down his spine, causing him to shudder. The smell of decay and blood filled the once clean air. Matt's muscles tightened and his eyes narrowed. He continued to circle the building, hoping to find a physical sign that his opponent was there, but there were none. 

"How long do you intend to keep me waiting?" he questioned, trying to contain the waver in his voice. 

In response to his words cawing and chirping rang from behind him, causing him to jump and turn around, where he saw a flock of crows flutter wildly into the air.

Matt released the breath he was holding, allowing his muscles to relax, as he watched the flock of black birds fly into the heavens and merge with the shadows. He straightened up a bit, his breathing evened out, and he felt calmer, knowing that he was not the only living thing left in the city.

Matt completely relaxed, and looked upon the blackened city fondly. It was his home, and even admits all of the destruction, it still remained beautiful and comforting to him.

"Lovely view isn't it…" a voice chimed wickedly.

Matt swung around, trying to find the source of the voice, but all he saw was an empty roof and darkness.

"Are you a coward? Show yourself!" the blonde demanded, as he once again moved into a defensive position.

Laughter rang from the darkness, taunting and provoking the spooked teen.

"Why, are you not enjoying my little game?" the eerie voice replied smoothly.

Matt scanned over the building, still finding that he was the only one there. "I wasn't aware that the Master of the Dark Ocean played games." The blonde snapped back in aggravation.

The laughter came once more, this time it was deep and accursed, booming with mockery and treachery. 

"Come out and fight me!" Matt demanded in anger, as his fist tightened and his teeth gritted in frustration.

"How foolish you are Yamato." The demon stated in a hopeless tone. "You truly believe that you are your own, don't you?" 

"What are you talking about?" the blonde replied coldly.

"We are all slaves to a greater will. You and I are the same, puppets on unbreakable strings. Serving our masters without question." Deamon went on provoking, knowing that his words were leaving marks upon his opponent.

"I am nothing like you! You only want to destroy." 

"I do only what I am meant to do." The demon replied calmly. "And now I am meant to eliminate you. I will not allow you to follow in the steps of your predecessor." He spat out the threat coldly, and the sky rumbled at his anger.

Now Matt was truly confused. He didn't understand what Deamon wanting to rule the South and the human world had to do with Piedmon.

"What are you talking about?" the teen screamed in fury. He was confused and frustrated at his situation, and Deamon's taunting was only fueling his anger.

Suddenly the sky above cracked, and lightening flashed in streams of crimson. The streams of red energy grew wild in the sky. The lightening raid out from every directing at first, but then thunder boomed once more and the crimson began to come together. Each flash was closer to a center, until at last, the light show was strictly above the building.

Matt watched as one moment the world was illuminated with a supernatural red glow, and then shadowed, with a forlonging umbra. The constant flashes played with his eyes, as they were unable to adjust quickly enough with the changes. Soon he saw nothing but light then darkness. The images of the world began to blur.

The light flashed, and he could see the fuzzy forms of the air conditioners, and then the light flashed again, and there was four. Four blurred figures stood upon the rooftop with the young Lord, three were dead machines, and one was an executioner.

"Piedmon was weak…" the voice began above the booming thunder.

Matt jumped in surprise at the closeness of the voice. Before, the words were so far off, he question if they were really being spoken, but now the voice came from directly in front of him. 

"He fell instantly to the Rituals of Destruction." Deamon continued to speak, his voice low and hateful. 

"I don't understand?" Matt stated in bewilderment.

"I thought that I could persuade the Nightmare Soldiers to abandoned their nature and free themselves from their chains, but my warnings fell upon deaf ears."

The flashing stopped, and Matt blinked, trying to allow his eyes to adjust to the steady darkness. Once the blurs faded from his sight, he could see all again, in perfect detail. The three air conditioners, the rooftops, and most importantly, his opponent Deamon.

"Their blind loyalties to their origins will be their undoing." 

Matt looked into the eyes of the demon master. The cold dead orbs bore into him, but he retaliated with his blazing glare.

"Their loyalties are their nature, abandoning them would be forsaking a part of themselves." Matt argued back, as he pulled up his clinched fist, ready for Deamon to strike.

"You truly do not understand." Deamon snapped back darkly. "You are but a scratch on the vast history of the digital world. This era is but an echo of times past. Like the times before us, like the others Races, if the Nightmare Soldiers are allowed to exist, if you are allowed to exist, history will repeat itself."

Matt looked deep into the demon's eyes and clenched his teeth in aggravation. Deamon's omen made no sense, why would a beast set to destroy all worlds, care about wars past. "You're referring to the Darkness that claim Piedmon." Matt state thoughtfully. "Let me assure you that that fate holds no claim to me. I serve the Digital World and its future. I fight for peace amongst all living things." 

Deamon snorted in disgust to the teen's words. "And it is those ideals that will entice you to the power. You will perform the Rituals of Destruction, just as Piedmon attempted to do. I will bring an end to this cycle, even if I must destroy both your world and the Digital World to do it." Deamon cried now in anger.

"Flame Inferno!" 

Matt's eyes widened, as the sphere of hell's flames flew towards him. Quickly he jumped to the side, grunting as he rolled away from the fire attack.

Deamon growled in irritation, then prepared to release his Evil Flapping attack.

Matt felt the power surging through his opponent, and knew another attack was coming. He placed his hands above his head and flipped back up quickly. 

Deamon released the attack, and it screeched through the air like a banshee, ready to take the teen's spirit away on its gruesome wings.

Matt's eyes began to glow a soft blue, and he raised his right hand above his head. A long slither of dark blue light appeared above his raised palm. He let out a powerful battle cry, then threw his hand forward. The slither of light grew into a long blade, and the blade went soaring towards the approaching Evil Flapping attack, slicing through it, and canceling the attack out.

"Impressive." Deamon stated flatly.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Matt replied darkly, as his eyes narrowed upon the demon.

And the Lord of The Nightmare Soldiers began his first conquest against darkness.

~*~*~

In the center of the field the battle raged on. Bloodied, broken bodies fell to the ground and reconfigured into streams and particles of data. Roars, howls, and screeches rang from the heart of the battle, while claws and teeth ripped at flesh and cracked armor. The sky flashed with crimson above, and the ground was painted with it below. The blood lingered on the field longer than the bodies, and so small craters began to fill with fluid. They would splash and drip; every time trampling feet disturbed them. The bravest of warriors were broken, as they watched their dearest friends fall around them, and all wondered how long would this gone on.

"You!" an entrancing voice echoed to a group of Devidramon, who were finishing off what was left of the two Deathmon. "Take to the air, and deal with the approaching Gigadramon!" 

The demon dragons nodded their heads in obedience, then leapt into the air, using their gristly wings to hoist them high above the streets.

The one who had given the order, returned her attention back to the Deathmon in front of her. 

The Deathmon sibilated at the fox digimon, as it bent down a bit ready to charge.

Renamon's piercing blue eyes narrowed upon the mega digimon, waiting for it to make its move.

The Deathmon growled low in its throat, then dashed towards the rookie. Its short broad legs pounded the pavement as it ran.

Renamon suppressed a jeering chuckle at the ignorant mega; the foolish digimon was not designed for speed, making its charge utterly hilarious to the waiting fox.

Deathmon was now a foot away; its bony arms out in front of its gruesome body, ready to tackle the smirking yellow fox.

This time Renamon did laugh as she caught sight of the determined look in her oppoenet's eyes. With little effort, she jumped into the air, gliding gracefully over the Deathmon, then landed a few inches behind him. 

The mega slid to a stop, looking around in bewilderment for his enemy. Its one large, dull, yellow eye scanned over the field. It saw a couple of other fox digimon, however it failed to locate the one it was searching for.

Renamon turned around and crossed her arms in annoyance. The mega hadn't even realized what had happened. Finally she grew tired of waiting for the simple-minded creature to comprehend what had just occurred, and cleared her throat, gaining her Deathmon's attention. 

When the mega finally turned to face its opponent, it was met with a powerful jab in its misshapen chest. The creature grunted as it was thrown back from the force of the blow, and began to wheeze from having its breath knocked out.

Renamon moved into position, then charged the Deathmon. It grunted once more in pain, before letting out a Death Arrow attack. Renamon's eyes locked on the red darts flying towards her, then she bent low, sliding under the attack, which hit a Bakemon from behind, ripping it to shreds.

Deathmon's eye widened as Renamon slid under its attack; it then tried to release an Explosive Eye attack, however the rookie reached it, before it could charge enough power. 

Renamon halted her mad race once she reached her target, then she spun around fast, using her long tail to slice through the mega's eye. 

The Deathmon shrilled as its repulsive eye was cut, allowing yellow fluid to splutter out from the wound. The pupil had been damaged leaving the Deathmon partially blind. 

Renamon laughed mockingly at her opponent, before she leapt into the air and cried out Diamond Storm.

The blue crystals ripped through the Deathmon's large eye, and what could be considered its neck. Chunks of the large eyeball littered the ground, as the decrepit mega collapsed. Blood and other fluid poured from the slices in its neck, then the body began to reconfigure, from the horns on its head all the way down to its three clawed toes.

Renamon smiled at the thought of her victory. She truly was within her element. She thrived on battle. The bloodshed and sweat, the heat of the battle, it was all thrilling to her. She could not dwell on what she was loosing or what she had already lost; it was not time to mourn. Mourning would come once it was all over. Once the day had been won or lost, then she would remember and grieve, but for now, she fought on, feeding off of every opponent she destroyed.

"You must give them some air." The wizard ordered in irritation.

"How is she?" a shaky, but feminine voice asked pitifully. "Can you help her?"

"We've seen worse today, right now all we can do is wait and see if their natural defenses begin to operate. If they don't, then we can do nothing." The wizard explained sympathetically to the young woman with tear streaked cheeks.

"First Angewomon, and then Garudamon, and now X-Veemon, if this keeps up, there won't be anyone left."

"Don't talk like that Tai!" a young and angelic voice pleaded. "We have to have faith, we can still win this." Kari argued, her dainty hands balled up into fist, and she trembled with determination.

Tai took a deep breath, then nodded and smiled at his younger sister. Her strength and light would save nations one day, he was certain of that. Very few people hold so much compassion, that they actually feel what others are feeling. 'Kari laughs when others feel joy, and she weeps when others feel sorrow, but most importantly, she never gives up hope, she seeks the light in all dark places.'

"Don't worry Kari, I'm not giving up, but I am being realistic. We're going to have to come up with a more effective strategy. You're right we can still win, but we need to change our tactics if we hope to make through another hour."

Kari nodded; understanding her brother's worries, then turned back to her sleeping partner, that was resting peacefully beside her. Wizardmon had already used a spell to heal her wounds, and now her body was recovering its strength.

As Kari looked upon the angel's face, she felt a strange apathy wash over her. Her worry for her best friend's life had faded; her concern for the out come of the battle no longer seemed like a necessary thing to worry over. She did not know what would come after all of this, but she did know what was coming soon.

"In one hour this battle will be over."

He remotely caught what the others were discussing. Most of it was how they were going to tend to all of the injured digimon, and how the efforts in the heart of the battle were going. There were many dying digimon piled on the roadside, and the few Wizardmon that remained behind the defense line, were trying to tend to them all. They'd come assess the situation, and if there looked to be no hope for the digimon's survival, they'd move on and find a digimon that had potential for life.

He couldn't understand, these were their comrades, their families, and yet they let death's cold grip take them away, without so much as a fight. But he also couldn't understand why the wizards fought so hard to save their partners. The champion digimon devoted more of their time and energy to the Digidestined's partners, then to any of their companions.

'Matt asked them to take care of us. They really do love him, and I've never seen him so strong. But is that a good thing, or a bad thing?'

"TK," a gentle voice addressed the Child of Hope softly.

The blonde jumped a little at having his thoughts disturbed, then turned to the one that called his name. "Yeah?" he asked flatly, showing just how annoyed he was by the interference in his musing.

"If you want to be left alone…" the other began uncertainly.

TK shook his head, allowing his eye to soften upon his timid friend. "No Ken, it's all right." He replied calmly, before turning his gaze back upon the battle.

Ken walked quietly to his friend's side, then looked upon the battle as well. 

Both boys stood in silence, gazing upon the destruction, as though it was the only thing they knew. They were young, but already they had lived more tragedies then most die knowing. They had seen more hate, pain, and love then all the generation before them, and to them, this was just another day as a Digidestined.

"I'm sure he's all right, he's always been one of the strongest of us." Ken finally spoke; his gentle tone was as soothing as the evening breeze.

TK chose not to respond to this. He knew his brother was strong, but this was different. Everything about this war had been different.

"Ken," the blonde's voice sounded miles away.

The Child of Kindness, turned to look at his companion. A wave of pity washed over him, at the sight of his friend's usually bright blue eyes now distant and dark.

"What did it feel like?" TK asked slowly, but bluntly.

Ken raised an eyebrow in confusion, not understanding the meaning behind his friend's question.

"When you lost Sam. What did it feel like?" TK clarified, without once turning to look at the lanky pre-teen beside him.

Immediately Ken's head snapped away from TK's form, and his eyes locked on the pavement. Indigo strands of silky hair fell over his eyes, but he paid no attention to them. His eyes, as dark as deep waters, sparkled with contemplation. 

"It felt like…" the boy thought over his words, hoping to put them in the best order. "It felt like a part of me died. When you're young the reality of death rarely registries in you mind. Something like loosing some one forever, seems as far off as a foreign country. When I lost my brother, I felt like the strongest, maybe even the best part, of myself was gone. You never really get that piece back. Instead you have to build another piece to support the hole. It took me a long time to realize that I couldn't rely on Sam to be my strength any longer. I had to define my own strength and character, and my own inspiration."

Ken explained honestly, hoping that his words did not discourage the other boy.

"But Matt's coming back TK." The pale teen urged strongly.

TK didn't respond at first, he simply kept his eyes locked upon the crashes of the battle.

Ken was about to leave, knowing, that the blonde probably wanted to be left alone, but as he turned to walk away his friend spoke. 

"Matt may come back, but what if my brother doesn't?" the blonde asked, his voice pleading for the other by to give him some sort of answer.

Ken took a deep breath, then walked back to the blonde boy's side. A compassionate smile tugged at his lips as he place a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

He could offer the boy no real answer, so he replied the only response that came to mind. "Don't give up hope."

"I'd feel a lot better if Sorcermon were here." Kari expressed honestly to the Flawizardmon helping Angewomon sit up.

"To be honest, Maiden of Light, I would too." The fire digimon replied with a slight chuckle. "I generally only heal virus or machine type digimon. Wizardmon are experts with data type, and Sorcermon, while capable of handling all digimon, are generally the ones to deal with vaccine type." The champion went on to explain, his raspy voice had a sweet tone to it, which forced both Kari and Angewomon to smile.

"Wizard digimon never cease to amaze me." Angewomon sated softly, as she raised a white-gloved hand to the side of her head.

"How do you feel?" the Flawizardmon question seriously

"Very weak, but your care has helped, thank you." The ultimate answered sincerely.

"I thank you also Flawizardmon." Kari stated in appreciation.

"I am more than pleased to help such beautiful creatures as yourselves." The flame wizard replied with a subtle bow. "Now if you will excuse me, I must tend to your friend." With that the champion turned, heading for the barely breathing Garudamon.

"Where did Sorcermon go?" Angewomon question softly.

Kari turned her gaze from the departing Flawizardmon, to her partner. "He had to return to the field. His division is trying to keep Deamon's troops from braking off into the alleys." 

Angewomon nodded understandingly, then lowered her head in thought.

Kari looked upon her partner in concern. "Are you all right? Maybe you should lie down a little longer." She suggested gently.

The ultimate angel shook her head in rejection to the idea, then replied. "Kari, what happened after I went unconscious?"

Kari lowered her head; tears began to glisten in her ruby eyes and she bit the side of her lip, while mentally ordering herself not to cry. 

"I rushed out to try and wake you, but I couldn't. Then Deamon released an attack. I couldn't move, the attack was coming, but I didn't care. It was about to hit when…" 

Kari's voice cracked, and Angewomon pulled her into a kind embrace. 

"Ladydevimon gave her life for us." The Child of Light finished sadly.

Angewomon rocked her weeping partner gentle. "I know, the Digital World cries out in mourning for her. There was none with a more noble soul."

Kari pulled away from her partner, and wiped her tears streaked cheeks stubbornly.

"I should return to the battle." The ultimate announced, as she slowly stood.

Kari followed her partner's example and stood as well. "I don't want you to go back there." She stated strongly.

"I know." Angewomon replied kindly. "But I must, they need me." 

Kari nodded, refusing to look at her angelic partner. 

Angewomon did not wait for a response, instead she took to the sky, hoping to pick up her fight where she left off.

Kari waited until she could no longer hear the flapping of her partner's wings, then fell to the ground, allowing her tears to fall freely.

For a while she rocked back and forth, unnoticed amongst the occupied digimon and humans, roaming about behind the line. She felt completely alone, that was until a warm arm wrapped around her.

"Don't worry sweet heart." The raspy voice of Flawizardmon reached the crying girl, and she wrapped her arms around him, leaning on him for support. "Following every night is a new day." He stated softly, as he allowed the girl to cry on his shoulder, offering her what strength he could lend.

He wielded the mighty Excalibur with skill that demanded respect. The rose colored blade sliced through his adversaries smoothly, hoeing down every obstacle that stood between him and his goal, Warumonzaemon. 

Infused with the powers of darkness, the puppet digimon proved to be a powerful adversary. His demonic red eyes glow with a sinister lust, as the beady pupils dashed over the field, looking over his armies' current state.

Above Megidramon kept WarGreymon occupied, and the mega dragon of Courage was weakening fast. He was badly injured from the serpent energy that bounded him moments ago. His mechanical wings, barely held him in the sky, and once destroyed, Megidramon would be free to eliminate the cowardly humans behind the skirmish line.

The remaining Generals of the Nightmare Soldiers were scattered over the field, and their troops were spread thin, making their attacks weak and easily avoidable. Already several of the Digidestined's partners had been taken out of the fight, and the few that remained were weak and injured.

To the final Commander of Deamon's army, this was a glories day. The smell of blood and battle was intoxicating and the bear digimon grinned wickedly at the sight of the Nightmare Soldiers falling to their doom.

'That _boy_ should have never opposed the mighty Deamon.' 

The puppet thought delectably to himself.

MagnaAngemon swung his sword, decapitating a Gigadramon. 

Another android dragon flew up behind him, but before the beast could release its attack, the ultimate angel swung around, and embedded his mighty sword in the dragon's open mouth. The blade sliced the android's tongue, and pierced through to the back of its neck. The angel digimon then yanked the sword out of the wound, allowing the dragon to brake up into data.

Warumonzaemon was to be the angel's next target, but herds of digimon stood between the angel and his foe.

"I'll clear the way, you go after the teddy bear." An enchanting voice spoke from behind the ultimate.

MagnaAngemon turned his head and addressed the owner of the voice. "You shouldn't be here." He explained in genuine concern for his fellow angel.

"Like I'd let you have all the fun." Angewomon replied confidently. "Heaven's Charm!" the female angel cried out, as she raised her arms allowing an aurora to radiate from her palms.

Instantly the Bakemon and Soulmon were frozen in pain from the heavenly light. The BlackGargoylemon fluttered back; avoiding the Heaven's Charm, while the light only temporarily blinded the Gigadramon.

"Hurry MagnaAngemon!" the celestial warrior ordered, while desperately trying to keep her attack from fading.

MagnaAngemon did not argue, but instead took this opportunity to fly deeper into the battle, where Warumonzaemon waited.

Once the Heaven's Charm had faded, Angewomon turned her attention to the swarms of now angry digimon around her.

The Bakemon and Soulmon groaned and growled as the darkness thawed their bodies, allowing them to move once more. The BlackGargoylemon left their temporary refuge in the blackened heavens and drifted closer to the single angel floating boldly before them. The Gigadramon blinked their outer eyelids, in order to band the speckles of yellow and red light that flashed before their vision, then they blinked their second lids, which were thin sheets of transparent tissue, in order to moisten their eyeballs and correct their focus. 

Angewomon's gentle features fell into a solemn scowl. Beautiful white wings, once stained with blood, but now, thanks to the wizard digimon's care, were returned to their glorious purity, stretched out in a heavenly show of splendor. The wind tossed about her long, golden hair and the wavy violet ribbon, wrapped elegantly around her thin frame, like the branches of a willow tree, tugging them gently so that they blew around her with feminine grace.

The Bakemon hissed bitterly at their new target. They were angry that they would not be able to finish off the first angel, but thankful that they now had an opportunity to rip off the female angel's wings and mask. 

"You despicable creature!" the first Bakemon cursed in disgust.

"You should have remained behind that pathetic line with your worthless humans!" another warned, snarling out the words in a malicious tongue. 

"You verminous parasites!" Angewomon exclaimed coldly, her celestial voice ringing above both thunder and battle. "Your hallow threats mean nothing to me. How gratifying it will be to see such wickedness fall." She chorused arrogantly.

"Guilty Wing!" 

"Evil Charm!" 

"Soul Cry!"

The attacks began to fly towards her from every direction. The BlackGargoylemon created a blockade above, preventing her from flying to escape the approaching attacks. The attacks approached with amazing speed, and the angel took what option remained, she dove down, going into the heart of the battle below.

He body soar down, pulling up right before she hit the pavement. Deathmon crowded the bottom like maggots squirming on decay. Their claws scratched and grabbed at the angel, pulling off white feathers and strands of golden hair, but the ultimate was moving too quickly for the mega demons to capture her, and she managed to fly under her attackers, and pull up on the other side unharmed. 

As soon as she was clear of the megas, Renamon and Gargoylemon jumped into the heap of decrepit creatures and began swatting them like flies.

Angewomon's original attackers turned their attention to her new position, snarling at her for temporarily interrupting their fun.

"Clever maneuver seraph." A Gigadramon complemented confidently. 

Deamon's troops knew they had the upper hand, their numbers far surpassed that of their opponents, and no minor setback was going to discourage them.

"I have plenty more." Angewomon announced as she held up her hands and a white bow appeared. "Celestial Arrow!" 

The golden arrow shot through the sky at the speed of light.

The Gigadramon's eye widened as it realized that there was no escaping the attack.

The Celestial arrow pierced the dragon through the chest. The light beamed from its front and back, and the android digimon screeched as the vaccine spread through its data, braking it apart from the inside out.

"Little pest!" a Soulmon cursed in aggravation. "You should be thanking us! If it were not for our Master your rival would still scorn the earth!" 

This cry caused rage to boil in Angewomon's blood, and her face twisted into a hateful scowl.

Soulmon smiled fiendishly, feeling that he had struck a cord with the frustrated female. "Or perhaps we should be thanking you, without your lack of strength our master would have never had an opportunity to eliminate that gorgeous yet meddlesome maiden."

Angewomon would not allow the mocking to continue, so she charged the taunting Soulmon.

Soulmon's head snapped up and his mouth fell open as he tried to fly away from the charging angel, however his efforts were in vain as the ultimate pulled her right hand back and shouted "Heaven's Charm!"

The female angel released her attack, throwing her arm forward, and striking the ghost digimon. The brilliant rainbow of light surged through the phantom, and he howled as his sensitive data was burnt. 

The smell of burning data floated on the wind, but Angewomon paid no attention to it, instead she kept her focus on Soulmon, who was glowing a bright golden light. Soon the light grew too bright, even for the angel digimon, and she was forced to pull away and flutter back, leaving the Soulmon to burn in torment.

The light then exploded, booming in a blinding flash that spread from the Soulmon's data streams to three of the surrounding Bakemon. The explosion hit the three ghosts, burning them like they did the Soulmon. The light then spread like a wave around the field, until it faded out like a dying fire.

"Anyone else wanna question my strength?" Angewomon demanded of her remaining opponents.

The surrounding digimon gritted their teeth in frustration, but no longer mocked the female angel.

Another Gigadramon released its Gigabyte Wing attack and the battle began again. 

"Angewomon's severely outnumbered." Kari expressed worriedly.

Flawizardmon was forced to leave the young lady after two badly injured Devidramon were brought behind the line. Now Kari stood beside TK and Ken, looking out upon the battle with the same serene apathy as her companions.

"They're all severely outnumbered." Ken replied flatly.

"Tai said we need a new strategy to win." Kari stated as she tilted her head in thought.

"We don't need a strategy; we need a miracle." TK answered sorrowfully.

The Child of Light lowered her head and looked upon the pavement, hoping to block out the image of the carnage before her. Spilt blood crept over the pavement and past the defensive line. The Digidestined's positions where down hill from the battle, allowing the warrior's remains to travel slowly towards them. Kari cringed slightly as crimson mixed with oil coated the road and flowed around her tennis shoes.

TK turned his gaze slightly to the young woman and looked upon her with pity. "What is it?" he questioned gently.

Kari did not look up; her eyes stayed upon the crimson that now stained her pink shoes. "The earth, it's screaming. It's drowning in the blood of mortals." She explained sadly, as she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

TK and Ken both diverted their gaze to the ground and noticed the blood that was creeping slowly towards the injured digimon. "I wish we had a way to mop it all up." Ken stated casually, as he shifted his place so that the rivers flowed around him.

"Do you think the streets will always be stained red?" TK asked thoughtfully, his voice sounding dead and tiered.

"Probably not, digital blood eventually turns to data particles, so it doesn't stain unless it's split in the Digital World." Ken replied logically.

"I wish it would stay there forever. People need to remember this day and those that died for them." TK expressed as he turned his gaze back to the battle. His gentle, blue eyes scanned over the wreckage, before landing on his partner.

"I'll remember." Kari replied sadly, forcing herself not to think about the nausea in her stomach. 

The three children, all of which had passed through the darkest of times and came out with a light unrivaled by any, returned their attention to the battle playing out in front of them. 

"Tai the left side is weakening, we need reinforcements over there!" Izzy shouted across the street.

"Well gee Izzy, I'll just go and see if any of the anxious volunteers waiting back at the school are interested in helping out." The brunette replied in frustration.

Izzy frowned disapprovingly, then shouted back, "Your sarcasm is not appreciated."

Tai rolled his eyes, then turned back to the rookie digimon waiting by his side. "Okay go over that again." He requested as he rubbed his temples, trying to fight back the stress-induced headache that was currently plaguing him.

"WereGarurumon recommends that you pull your partners back and retreat to the Digital World." The dark, elegant voice explained formally.

Tai shook his head in disagreement as BlackRenamon gave her report. "Listen, we're not going anywhere. We don't run, besides you're already outnumbered as it is, how bad do you think it will be if we left." He argued strongly.

BlackRenamon nodded her head respectfully before replying. "The General suspected that you would respond this way. But if you will forgive me Commander Taichi,"

"Tai." The brunette cut the fox off, correcting the title.

BlackRenamon looked at the teen in confusion at his correction. 

"Call me Tai, and don't try to argue with me. We're not leaving. This is just as much our fight as it is yours, and if WereGarurumon has a problem with that you can tell him to come and see me." The leader of the Digidestined announced, as he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"I understand Sir." She replied calmly. "If you will excuse me I will return to the field and give the General your reply." With that the black fox gave a gracefully bow then dematerialized.

"Tai!" the cry rang out loudly, causing the brunette to scan over the area in source of the voice. However, once he located the owner of the voice he frowned in worry.

Izzy came running up to his teammate, who still had his arms crossed and his face set in a frown, and then skid to a stop. "Tai." he panted as he placed his hand upon his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"MegaKabuterimon can not hold the line much longer, and Stingmon and Ankylomon are covering the center line." The computer whiz explained, taking deep breaths between his words.

"What about Zudomon?" Tai questioned, finally dropping his pose.

Izzy caught his breath then stood up, looking his leader in the eyes. "Zudomon is covering the right line, and everyone else is either injured or in the field."

Tai bit the side of his lip in thought.

"Tai they're braking through the line!" Izzy urged, begging the brunette for an answer.

"Hold them as long as you can, and take as many of them out as you can." Tai stated seriously, earning him a shocked look from his companion. "The least we can do is cripple them before they take us out. Azulongmon will send another army to destroy what is left of them once we're gone, I'm certain of it."

"But… but Tai" Izzy began in utter confusion. 

"No Izzy, I'm not giving up hope, but I'm also not giving up sanity." Tai fell silent once more, as he lowered his head in thought. "Izzy I want you and the others along with Stingmon and Ankylomon to get out of here. Go to the school and use the gate to go to the Digi-World, you'll be safe there." Tai ordered thoughtfully.

Izzy looked at his leader in complete confusion before he replied, "Tai, since when does sanity have anything to do with being a Digidestined? We came into this together and we're going out together." The Child of Knowledge expressed strongly.

Tai shook his head doubtfully, still refusing to lift it. He began to mumble about the reasons behind his order and how logical they were. 

Izzy listened to the mumbling for a few seconds until he could take no more, finally he rose his fist and let it fly, hitting the brunette in the cheek.

Tai stumbled back, yelping in surprise from the blow, before he shot his head up and stared in bewilderment at his friend.

Izzy blushed and began to shaky his hand before he resorted to rubbing his knuckles. "Well Matt's not here, so someone had to do it." He explained with a sly smile, before giving his hand a sympathetic look. "Gees that hurts a lot more than you make it look." 

Tai stared at the read head in shock, before raising a hand to his tender cheek. At first he was in a daze, he would have never suspected that Izzy could pack such a punch, but after the daze faded, he began to smile, then grin, then laugh.

Izzy looked over to his friend in confusion, while still nursing his hand.

"Yeah it does hurt, especially when you're hitting a head as hard as mine." He stated between his laughter. After a few seconds the fit ended and he smiled broadly at the red head. "Thanks Izzy I needed that, and I could really go for an energy drink, but you know beverages will have to wait." 

"I knew I should have packed some." Izzy replied in mock disappointment.

"You're right, we're going to have to strengthen the line." The brunette replied thoughtfully. "Well, let's go take a better look at our situation, maybe something will come to me." He stated as he threw an arm over the shorter boy's shoulder and the two of them walked over to the center of the line, ready to solve the problem as only Digidestined could. 

They fluttered around him like wild vultures, grasping for his limbs and trying desperately to bring him to the ground. However their prey was more than admirable, and he fought off each assault with grueling blows and clever tactics. 

The beetle swung in the air, trying to squash the BlackGargoylemon like flies, however, as soon as one went crashing down, another would take its place and the relentless attack continued. Every time the ultimate attempted to use an attack the swarms would dash back, dodging the attack with their amazing speed, then they would return to their opponent with even greater aggression than before.

"He's not going to be able to hold them for much longer." Ken expressed worriedly.

"If only we could DNA digi-volve."

"I don't think that would do us much good, Kari," TK announced, as he placed a loving hand on his childhood friend's shoulder. "Our partners are more powerful in their pure angel forms, and X-Veemon is so badly hurt I don't think he could survive the stress of a jogress evolution." 

Another assault fell hard upon MegaKabuterimon, and the beetle huffed and groaned as the flock of raven winged digimon latched on to his four insectiod arms and grand horn. 

"They're getting ready to use their Black Statue attack!" Kari cried in fright, as she ran a little closer to the edge of the line.

"Kari! Wait up!" TK shouted while he and Ken followed closely behind.

"We've got to do something." Ken announced, as his deep blue eyes widened in fear.

MegaKabuterimon twisted, violently trying to rip the BlackGargoylemon off of his body before they charged enough power to release their attack.

"Hold on MegaKabuterimon!" Kari encouraged, knowing that there was nothing else she could do.

Suddenly all three of the pre-teen's were forced to clutch their hands over their ears, as multiple high-pitched shrills rang from the collection of fallen angels latched onto the ultimate insect. 

"What's happening!" TK shouted in agony above the mixed rings of syringes. 

"I don't know!" Ken replied back, before he fell to one knee in pain. 

The screeches pierced through flesh and eardrums, making it feel as though your head would burst.

"Somebody please make it stop!" Kari pleaded as her sight began to blur with tears of pain.

Just as it seemed that the torment of sound would never cease, a vibration filled the air. It started off soft and distant, but within a few seconds the vibration was directly above the three Chosen Children. And just as quickly as it had appeared above them, the vibration passed on, heading towards the captive MegaKabuterimon.

In a blur of pastel the source of the vibration reached the insectiod digimon, then circled him twice, leaving a trail of color behind it.

Once the circle was complete the blur flew back and stop, the vibration ended temporarily, and the blur's flight path was now marked with a ring of pink flowered upon light green vines. 

Kari blinked a couple of times to clear her eyes, her grip upon her ears was slowly released, however, ringing still plagued her head and she felt faint from the splitting head ache which still struck and pounded upon her skull.

"I don't believe it!" 

The ruby-eyed girl shot her head in her blonde friend's direction, immediately regretting the movement as it sent dizziness to her head and stress to her upper neck.

"It's Lillymon." Ken finished his companion's statement in wonder.

Kari looked in the direction of her two friends, refusing to believe without seeing, but when her gaze was met with a slender pixie digimon, she immediately smiled in excitement.

"Lillymon!" she cheered proudly.

The pixie digimon temporarily diverted her gaze to the three cheering pre-teens behind the line. She smiled slyly then winked before turning back to her insect friend.

The BlackGargoylemon still clung tightly to their prey, however, Lillymon's Flower Reef prevented them from charging up enough power for their Black Statue attack. The fallen angels now hissed in anger as two rings of daises chained them to MegaKabuterimon's large form. They struggled to free themselves, but the Floor Reef kept them tied tightly to the ultimate.

After a second of struggling the champion digimon realized that their efforts were futile and gave up. 

"Take it away MegaKabuterimon!" Lillymon coached with glee.

"Gladly." The insect growled as he pulled his four arms as close to his body as the reef would allow. "Electro Shocker!" the ultimate shouted releasing a powerful ball of energy, which broke the reef and sent the five BlackGargoylemon flying.

"Well that was fun." Lillymon giggled, as she flew quickly over to where Kari, TK, and Ken stood.

"Are you three all right?" she questioned sincerely.

"Yeah, we're okay." TK replied for himself and his companions. "But how did you get here?" 

"Well," the pixie began but was suddenly interrupted by a loud call.

"Kari!" Tai shouted above the noise around him, as he ran at full speed towards the group, with Izzy following some feet behind.

Tai reached Lillymon and the pre-teens red faced and panting. "Are you okay? What happened over here? And how did Lillymon get here?" he questioned frantically as Izzy came up behind him.

"We're all fine." Ken answered for the group before turning back to Lillymon. "And how did you get here?" he repeated the now popular question.

Lillymon smiled proudly before pointing a dainty finger in the direction behind the group.

At once the group of Chosen Children turned around and was greeted with a sweetly smiling face.

"Mimi?" Tai questioned in shock.

"Hey guys!" the Child of Sincerity chirped, "Gennia thought you could use some help." She explained with a smile.

"Oh Mimi, you couldn't have come at a more perfect time." Kari expressed happily, before she and the older girl hugged.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat with the rest of you, but MegaKabuterimon and I have a date." Lillymon stated with a smile, before she buzzed into the sky and joined the insect digimon in his fight against the flock of BlackGargoylemon.

It didn't take long for Kari to start filling Mimi in on the more recent events.

"So Gennia sent her." Izzy whispered flatly to Tai, who had turned his attention back to the battle.

"Yeah how cliché is that?" the older boy replied.

"Mimi did Gennia tell you why he brought you here?" Izzy questioned, causing the auburn hair girl to look up from Kari, and turn her focus to the two boys behind her.

"Actually he was very vague, but he did say that we are strongest when we're together, and that you really needed my help. I can tell you how I got here. He used the Digi-Port, kind of like when you sent Palmon to see me." She explained curiously, not understanding the two older boy's behavior. 

"It might have been better if you'd stayed in New York, our situation kind of looks hopeless." Ken stated dully, feeling the need to return his companions' attention back to the carnage beyond the line.

"Hopeless?" Mimi questioned, drawing the children, who obediently stared at the battle like lifeless zombies, back to her. "You mean like having your crest destroyed, you digimon being reduced to rookies, and then having your bodies digital processed and sent to some digital limbo?" the Child of Sincerity chanted dramatically. "You mean that kind of hopeless?" she finished with an innocent questioned. 

Despite the rant's over dramatics, Mimi's word still hit the other children hard, and soon the cloud of hopelessness lifted from their eyes, allowing them to see that change was constant, and that anything could turn around. 

"The only time things are hopeless is when your dead." Mimi explained seriously, before painting a huge grin back on her delinquent features. "I'm going to go talk with Sora and Yolie." She explained before leaving her company and heading towards the two girls, who were kneeling beside the injured Garudamon.

"Lillymon's really making a difference." Kari stated in confidence, as she saw the line strengthen.

"Maybe, but we need more than a great defense, we need to get on the offensive." Tai expressed, immediately falling back into his concerned role.

"When Aquilamon comes back from scouting the field tell him to join Stingmon and Ankylomon in the center line. It needs strengthening." Izzy ordered to the three pre-teens, before following Tai to the back of the defense, where Davis stood watching his badly damaged partner with teary eyes.

TK sighed in exhaustion before voicing his thoughts. "I sure hope Matt is doing better than we are."

~*~*~

He was not an angel. In his own mind frailty and flaws were too relevant to ignore, and since, in his believe, he possessed many he refused the title of celestial, allowing that title to be reserved for the seraphs and cherubs of the Digital World. Still in others' minds he held all of the grace and beauty of the winged guardians. Both his followers and enemies constantly waited for the day when two nimbi wings would sprout from his back, splattering blood all around, and he would fly into the heavens, taking his place amongst the immortals of the Digital Sky. It was an image impossible to ignore, even now, as he stood ensanguined above a broken city, he still held that halo of heaven's grace. He was like Michael the angel of judgment, standing before plagues and demon, fearless and blood stained, ready to cast the world's tormentors into an eternal prison.

The demon, which opposed the young Lord, stood proudly, and equally as driven. His malicious eyes were like the doors to a tomb; through them resided only darkness and silence. 

"You do realize that it's going to take more than fancy acrobatics to defeat me _boy_." The address was belittling, and the teen could only huff defiantly in response to the demon's belief of his inferiority.

Without waiting for further mocking, the blonde charged his opponent, ready to use his new knowledge on hand to hand combat to the full of its potential.

Deamon smirked as the teen came racing towards him. He raised his long demon hands and suddenly a sphere of black energy came racing from his palms.

Matt skid to a stop and was forced to throw himself upon the ground in order to avoid the approaching sphere. The dark energy passed over him and went whirling into an antenna, which was placed on the building behind him. Instantly the antenna was manipulated into a black hole. The vortex swirled shifting the matter around it to match its hypnotic motion.

Matt pushed himself up off the ground and looked at the vortex in fright and surprise. He hadn't felt Deamon prepare the attack, which meant that it was some sort of spell. The vortex swirled, slowly growing wider. As the waves from the expanded darkness touched solid matter it sucked it into the spiral, where it circled the growing hole until it was at last sucked into the center. To Matt it looked like oil being manipulated by swirling movement and carried down a drain upon water.

"What is that!" the blonde demanded icily. 

Deamon's eyes brighten with amusement at the teen's obvious fear. "It is a gate." He replied calmly.

Matt stole a quick look back at the slowly expanded vortex, ordering himself not to look alarmed at the demonic display, then turned back to the Demon Lord. "A gate to where?" he questioned, trying desperately to contain the tremble in his voice.

Deamon's eyes narrowed, and he took a few steps closer to the teen, smiling as the blonde staggered back defensively. "It is a gate to a world of eternal darkness and silence. The waves slowly suck you in, and as you pass through the gate you are erased." He explained growing ever confident with his plan.

"Erased?" Matt questioned, suddenly feeling that he truly did not want to know what that meant.

Deamon snickered darkly, fully enjoying his opponent's new traumatized state. "Anything that passes through the vortex becomes nothing. Erased from history and life. And the more it feeds the faster it grows. First it will reach into the sky, then it will spread over the land. Growing until it covers your pathetic world's entire atmosphere." The demon ranted with pride.

"Then it will slowly make its way down until it swallows everything." Matt finished the dark digimon's speech for him, suddenly feeling a since of urgency.

The vortex was already stretching into the sky. Like a plant reaches and bends to better touch the sun, so did the waves of the vortex manipulate to better grasp the darkness. Clouds, birds, and even the polluted air around it was sucked in, where they disappeared into a sea of darkness, loosing their identity and becoming a part of the shadows beyond the gate.

Matt looked on as the vortex grew. The waves gently brushed across a near by building and slowly the building was swept into the swirling gate. It started with the ledge of the roof, slowly pulling it in and then the walls and windows followed. The warped building was pulled down and around until it was completely ripped from its place in the ground. Then it drained down until the last of it disappeared.

The blonde gritted his teeth, as the rage boiled within him. Without thought or reason he dashed towards Deamon, moving so quickly that not even the Demon Lord could prepare for his charge. Matt reached Deamon then his hand, covered in scars and stained in blood, grabbed the mega's ceremonial, red robe and lifted him an inch above the pavement. 

"Reverse it now!" the teen yelled in the demon's face with all of the anger and pain venting through in this one desperate action.

Deamon scowled darkly at the boy, annoyed with his request and his tactics. The demon pulled an arm back, then punched the blonde, causing him to loose his grip upon the red robe and send him crashing to the roof.

Matt crumpled to the ground, feeling a sudden hopelessness wash over him. He was exhausted, and worn beyond repair. And now he felt that all of his efforts would soon end miserably.

"I'm afraid it's too late." The Deamon mocked with a final tone. "I can only open the gate, after that it will not close until everything on the surface of the world has been captured."

"That means you too." Matt replied arrogantly, as he struggled back to his feet, only to have his tiered legs give in sending him back to the roof.

"Oh no, I will be gone long before the process is complete."

"But your troops…" Matt argued in denial of what was occurring.

"They've served their purpose," the dark mega replied carelessly, "If they do not manage to destroy your companions and troops, then it will be an appropriate punishment for them to suffer the same fate." 

"You're a monster!" Matt barked in rage. He had no strength left. He could allow the rage within him to boil over once more, it would wash over his opponent, melting him into a puddle of data, but something held him back. Deep within his exhausted, fear-filled mind was a small sense of reasoning, which argued against letting such untamable power loose into the world.

Deamon walked casually to his weakened opponent. He knew the teen was at a disadvantage. The blonde had been fighting since early afternoon and it was now the late hours of the night. But more importantly, the young Lord was but an infant in power. He was only a few days old, and still knew very little about his own strength and the full extent of his abilities. Still the knowledge of the teen's obvious inferiority did not prevent the demon digimon from unleashing the full of his abuse upon the blonde.

"You weak, worthless human." The demon snapped, as he used his long feet to kick the crumpled teen in the chest.

Immediately Matt cried out in pain as two of the claws on Deamon's foot sliced through his chest.

"You don't belong in this war." The mega continued to mock as he sent another powerful kick to the Lord's ribs. 

This time the blow was so powerful that it sent Matt's frail form rolling, until he fell to a stop upon his stomach. 

Matt coughed out the dust from the rooftop, which clouded into his lungs, choking him, and filling his mouth with the mixed taste of blood and dirt.

"This world doesn't need you, if someone stronger had been chosen then maybe your dear friends would not be struggling for survival." 

Matt coughed once again, then rolled over to his back, moaning in pain as the bruises began to show their coming. "Yeah… I've been told all of that before." He coughed out, before squinting his eyes so that he could better see the beast looming above him.

Deamon huffed before sending another sharp kick into the teen's side. 

Matt groaned, then curled up a bit. His head was spinning and he suddenly felt foolish for being in such a weak position. 

'Maybe I shouldn't have chased that voice away, I've never felt more power than when it was here.'

"If so many have told you how worthless you are then surely it must be true." Deamon mused allowed, trying to play with the injured boy beneath him.

Matt shook his head a bit, still fighting against dizziness then replied. "Well a lot of people say that Elvis never died, but I'm not exactly a believer in that either." 

Deamon now scowled, no longer enjoying his torture. The teen was too strong in spirit to brake, therefore his games and mocking gave him no pleasure. Feeling slightly deprived at not having a decent chance at taunting his victim, Deamon began to speak a low spell.

Matt listen closely to the baneful words flowing smoothly from the demon's mouth, hoping to deceiver some of them, however to his dismay the language was completely alien to him, leaving him to wonder what the spell would bring.

As Deamon spoke his charm he stretched out his arm. The spell flowed from his mouth like venom from snakes' fangs. Each twisted syllable poisoned the silence with treachery, and as the conjuring continued, a dark red light, like deep pools of blood, began to circle the demon's out strutted hand. The light glowed eerily, like the bloodthirsty eyes of a vampire, as it began to grow. Once orbiting around Deamon's hand, the light now began to stretch in length. It continued to circle until it formed the shape of a staff, then hardened. 

Matt looked upon the rod curiously, it was jet black but finally polished, as though it where made out of black pearls. The bottom was pointed, and the blonde was certain that it was nicely sharpened and ready to impale him in the chest or head. The staff was slender, but it grew in size towards the top, where rims and carvings where lined with deep red jewels.

Deamon sneered at the bewildered teen before placing his clawed feet upon his chest.

Immediately the blonde began to wheeze and squirm against the pressure.

"One by one your friends will fall," the Dark Area digimon stated blissfully, "What a pity you will not be around to whiteness such glorious carnage." 

Matt choked as Deamon suddenly applied a large about of pressure on his chest. The blonde felt like he was suffocating, and the blood veins underneath the monster's foot already burst from the weight.

'I don't understand, why am I so weak? Where did all of my strength go?' the teen questioned, as his vision began to blur and tiny slithers of silver danced upon his gaze like rouge stars.

While feeling darkness creep over him, he managed to see the truth; his power is effected greatly by his moods and feelings. By allowing hatred to engulf him, he allowed the enemy within to when. Everything that occurred that day was like a large brick in a wall. The wall was long and tall, built of his fear about confronting his friends, his worry about them accepting the Nightmare Soldiers, his anger during battle, his grieve and pain when Ladydevimon fell, and his hatred towards the creature above him.

"No last words?" Deamon questioned, his voice now sounding less like a wild demon and more like the cold emotionless creature that came looking for the dark spores a year ago.

When Matt did not reply to the mega's taunting, the demon fully gave up his games and rose his staff high, ready to slam it through the young Lord' throat.

'He's right, if I die now, I won't be around to witness the destruction that gate is going to cause. It's better this way, we're all going to die anyway.' 

The staff was now above Deamon's head, and the gate continued to grow, rising towards the sky like resurrected spirits.

__

Yamato you must fight back.

Matt bit his lip and shook his head defiantly. 'There's no point, it's over.'

Yamato you promised!

The voice urged, ringing from the wind.

__

You promised you would fight for life. How many lives will end if you do nothing now?

The voice continued to argue.

'But there's nothing I can do.'

The blonde cried within his own mind, as he wondered how many voices resided within his conscience.

__

If you give up now everyone you care about, Gabumon, your friends, and your brother **will die**.

At this the blonde snapped back to life, the cloud that once clogged his judgment faded, and he suddenly felt strength pulse through him. 

'The only thing that can truly defeat us is ourselves. If I allow him to make me feel like there is no hope, then hope will truly be destroyed. I can't let him do that. I have to fight, I have to save my friends, even if it destroy me!'

"Good bye, Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers." Deamon sneered coldly, as he brought the staff down hard and fast, ready to spear the boy in the neck.

Matt saw his death coming, "No!" the blonde shouted against the blow.

In a flash the Crest of Friendship appeared upon the teen's chest. The blue light started at the tips of the unusual symbol, then burned into its barrier's chest until the light met in the center, completing the crest.

Deamon fell back, then cowered away, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light.

Matt sat up slowly, he felt as though he were waking from a dream, and that for the first time in a long time everything was real and solid. Everything mattered, from the crows that could be heard cawing in the distance, to his troops and friends that fought valiantly on the field. Everything had a meaning, and he was prepared to fight for it all.

The teen looked himself over closely. Cuts and bruises decorated his pale flesh in a riot of reds, blues, and purples. His clothes were stained and ripped, and his hair, to his utter dismay, was washed in blood, sweat, and dirt. He shook his head, clearing his mind of the useless information that he just learned, then slowly stood up, showing no concern for his opponent. He was certain that Deamon would not dare to come near him so long as the crest glowed brightly upon his chest.

With little thought Matt calmly stretched out his right arm and opened his palm. He stared impassively as the Crest of Friendship began to burn into his right hand; much like it did his chest. Slowly the light from the crest began to form the shape of and handle, and from this handle the shape of a blade began to stretch out, until gripped within the Lord's hand was a sword. 

The light faded from both the teen's chest and hand, leaving the blonde in the cold darkness. The unearthly appearance faded and he was human once more, only now in his grasp was a sword, beautiful and glistening with splendor. 

Matt smirked at Deamon's enraged face, then bent into a battle stance. "Let's try this again." He stated smoothly, his voice acquiring the dark commanding tone that mixed so well with his place as leader of a race of warriors.

"Gladly." The demon gritted out in aggravation.

Matt grasped his sword, twisting his hands a bit in order to get a feel for the blade. For some reason he felt strangely calm, at peace with both himself and his situation.

Deamon grinned wickedly, then charged at the composed teen.

Matt's crystal eyes narrowed upon his opponent, then he too took off in a charge.

The clang of blade meets staff rang over the rooftop. The two grunted as they pushed upon each other in a show of strength.

However, Matt grew tired of the test quickly and pulled back before swinging his sword again.

Deamon growled as he brought his staff up blocking the teen's attack. He then twisted his wrist brining the other end of his staff up, while pushing Matt's sword down.

The tip of the staff came flying towards Matt's face, but he managed to dodge just before it sliced through his jaw. The blonde then yanked his sword up, throwing Deamon's staff into the air, however not managing to rip it from the demon's grasp, then swung around, kicking his opponent's exposed chest.

Deamon stumbled back a few steps from the power if the kick, but managed to bring his staff down in time to block his enemies sword, which was quickly being swung at his chest. The demon snarled in frustration, then with amazing speed spun around, swinging his staff as he moved.

Matt raised his left arm and stopped the approaching rod, but he did not realize that the demon's maneuver was meant to distract him as he spoke a quick spell. 

The blonde pulled away as four shadows shot from his opponent's black staff.

The obscurities fell to the ground, floating on all four sides of the teen.

Matt looked the blotches over, trying to understand their nature, but was unable to come to a conclusion. Just as he was about to begin destroying them the shadows began to mold, each taking on a different form.

The teen watched confused as two tall figures and two shorter fingers began to form, until at last the shadows took full shape and transformed into solid matter.

Matt's eyes widened in shock, as he looked each of the figures over. "What's going on?" 

"Why Lord Yamato, don't you recognize your own Generals?" Deamon snickered in a mocking tone.

Matt growled in frustration at the demon's words. "Are you too afraid to fight me yourself?" he demanded coldly.

Deamon huffed in anger then retaliated with a, "What's the matter afraid?" 

Matt looked over the four figures again. To his front stood WereGarurumon; to his right stood Ladydevimon. Behind him was Renamon, and to his left stood Sorcermon. They all looked identical to his trusted companions, all except for one thing, one feature that allowed him to see through the illusion, their eyes. Instead of yellow, scarlet, blue, and steel Yamato saw nothing but darkness. Cold, lifeless-black eyes, that looked upon him with no emotion.

"This is just an illusion." The blonde stated swiftly to himself.

"Diamond Storm!" 

He turned his head just in time to see a multitude of blue crystal flying directly towards him. The attack forced him to the ground as the crystal sliced through his left arm. 

"I assure you they're real enough." Deamon explained darkly.

Matt growled as he place his right hand on the rooftop for support, allowing his sword to rest on the cement. Blood trickled down his new wounds, falling onto tiny pools upon the roof.

Blue eyes took a quick look at the vortex moving slowly towards the sky. 'I don't have time for this!' he cursed silently as he forced himself up. "All right Deamon, I'll play your game, for now." 

"Crystal Cloud!"

Sorcermon's attack came flying from the side. 

Matt shot his head, seeing the wizard's spell approaching. He ducked quickly and the cloud passed over him, however, his focus on avoiding the attack prevented him from sensing the powerful kick, which jabbed into his side, knocking him to the ground.

Matt groaned and looked up, where his eyes meet the soulless form of his partner WereGarurumon. 

The werewolf pulled his hand into a fist, then came down, ready to send his knuckle piece into Matt's forehead.

The blonde's eyes widened, then he rolled back, pulling up his sword as he went. Not only did this maneuver allow him to avoid the werewolf's attack, but the raised sword blocked Ladydevimon, who was attempting to bring her crimson claws down upon him.

Matt held onto his sword tightly, trying to stay focused on the demon's moves behind him, while keeping his eyes on the werewolf in front of him. 

The Ladydevimon illusion twirled the chain, which wrapped around her body, ready to send it flying around Matt's neck. But the blonde's keen senses helped him pick up on the move, and he quickly spun around, while still on the ground, and kicked the fallen angel's legs, knocking her to her knees.

He then jumped up as both WereGarurumon and Renamon charged him. 

Renamon threw her right paw forward, but Matt evaded the punch, then went to block the kick that WereGarurumon sent his way.

Soon all four of the Generals' clones were attacking the teen, only occasionally braking his defenses, but not managing to cause any real damage.

Matt used his sword and skill to fight back, but the clones' power rivaled that of the originals, and he was finding it difficult to fight them all.

Finally Deamon's patients began to run out, and he sent a telepathic command to his creations, telling them to quickly kill their target.

At once all four of the Generals jumped onto the teen, trying to hold him down. WereGarurumon grabbed his right arm, clutching his wrist tightly.

Matt yelped in pain and was forced to drop his sword in mercy to the power of the werewolf's hold.

Renamon grabbed his left side, not failing to place her claws into the slashes in his flesh caused by her earlier attack.

Sorcermon clutched his feet, preventing him from struggling, while Ladydevimon grabbed him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck, and placing her claws against his pulsing veins.

Matt whimpered in pain, then squirmed, trying to struggle out of the illusions' grasp.

Deamon snickered with pleasure as he walked slowly towards the group. In a superior gesture he bent down and picked up the blonde's forsaken sword. His deathly gaze looked over the blade with mock fascination, before he moved so that he was directly in front of the captured boy.

Matt struggled and growled at the mega, feeling disgusted that the creature was touching his precious sword.

Deamon turned his sight back to the teen, then raised the sword so that the blade was upon his chest.

"Now you die." The monster hissed, as he pulled the sword back, then rammed it into the blonde's chest.

Matt shut his eyes tightly, expecting to feel cold steel split his flesh and driving into his heart, but to his surprise he felt nothing. Confused he opened his eyes and was meet with a surprising sight, the blade had passed through him, but he was not hurt.

He looked down and saw waves flowing from the sword that was currently running through his chest. He could have stared at the miraculous sight forever if the sound of choking had not diverted his attention to his captive behind him.

The false Ladydevimon was coughing and splurging, that was when Matt realized what happened; the sword went through his body, leaving him unharmed and came out the other side, where it slammed into the demon's stomach.

While both Deamon and his creations where gawking over the recent miracle, Matt used this opportunity to regain composure, then he summoned all of his strength and yanked his right arm free of WereGarurumon's hold. His eyes watered as he felt the werewolf's sharp claws slice through his lower arm as he pulled free. Blood instantly surfaced and began to run down his arm and wrist until it meet his fingertips, where it dripped down like a leaky faucet.

The blonde still paid no attention to his fresh wounds; instead he raised his arm up, and elbowed Ladydevimon directly in her defined jaw. The mirror of the demon made no sound, as she was thrown backwards, freeing the sword from her insides, and allowing Matt some more mobility.

Deamon snapped out of his shocked state upon seeing his creation hit the ground, he then released his hold upon the Lord's sword and stumbled back.

Matt used his opponent's brief mistake to free himself. First he swung his right arm to the side, using a right cross to pound into Renamon, which momentarily disabled her, giving the him an opportunity to free his left arm.

The teen gave a silent _thank you_ that his left arm was freed with less pain than his right, then turned his focus to Sorcermon, who still held his feet tightly, and WereGarurumon, who was trying to regain capture of his right arm.

Matt was forced to attack quickly, as he saw his new found freedom being threatened by two false figures. Without hesitation his blood drenched hands reached for his sword, which still rested through his chest, waiting to be reclaimed from his insides. He pulled the sword out, marveling on how he felt nothing, as though neither the sword nor himself were real.

Form a distance Deamon growled in anger as he watched Matt reclaim his sword. The teen smiled, pleased with his work, then swung his blade gracefully, using it to slice through the approaching WereGarurumon's chest. He then rotated his wrist and slammed the blade of the sword into Sorcermon's forehead. 

The blonde watched emotionlessly as the Sorcermon illusion began to curl up. His body began to crinkle, as Matt roughly extracted his blade from the wizard's head. Then the outline of the now curling body began to glow orange, and Matt watched as the body burned like a piece of paper, only to have the ashes blow away in the wind.

'That's one down.' The teen thought tiredly to himself.

Now he was cornered once again, as Ladydevimon had returned to her feet and she, along with WereGarurumon and Renamon, were slowly closing in on him. 

The blonde bit the side of his lip as he quickly spun around, facing the injured form of Ladydevimon. Focusing on the illusion's cold black eyes, which were so unlike the expressive scarlet orbs he was so accustom to, he charged, his blade ready to finish the task it had already begun. 

The false Ladydevimon released a Darkness Wave attack, hoping to stop the teen's attack, but the blonde swung his sword, slicing trough the heart of the attack, causing the remainder of the bats to disperse and then fade. 

Once clear of the attack, Matt sped up. Ladydevimon was caught off guard by how quickly the blonde reached her, and had no time to react as his glistening blade thrust through her throat.

A shiver ran down the young Lord's spin, as he watch the false fallen angel close her eyes then fall to the ground. He trembled a bit as her body behaved as Sorcermon's did. He could not help the wave of grief that washed over him upon seeing the dark maiden destroyed a second time that night. But he reminded himself that this demon was not real, and that the true Ladydevimon would have been both appalled and infuriated to learn that Deamon ever even attempted to make a copy of her.

"And then there were two." The blonde stated almost bitterly as he turned to face the last two illusions.

Renamon did not wait for Matt to charge her; instead she released her Diamond Storm attack. 

As the crystals approached, the teen's eyes began to glow a dim lapis. He then spun his sword, causing the blade to glow in the same radiance as his eyes. The Diamond Storm collided with his sword and fizzled out, being lost within the glow of Friendship. 

Once Matt reached the fox, he swung his leg out, kicking her in the side. The yellow rookie fell back, allowing Matt to bring his sword around, and slicing through her center, cutting her into two equal halves. 

The two halves of Renamon's body fell to the ground and crinkled up before blowing away.

Matt was thankful that these false figures possessed no blood or internal anatomy, it made it so that destroying them did not play with his mind.

The blonde watched silently as the last of Renamon's ashes scattered across the rooftop, and for a moment he forgot about the remaining illusion, that was until a powerful punch hit his kidneys.

The blonde yelped as he fell forward, his teeth gritted in pain, and tears began to trickle down his sweaty cheeks. His head shot around, and he growled in anger upon seeing the false WereGarurumon.

The ultimate digimon towered above the teen in a battle ready stance, and his dead eyes stared at the blonde, waiting for him to retaliate.

Matt jumped back from the werewolf, keeping his gaze focused strictly upon the ultimate's stance. 

He watched everything, from the way the ultimate bent to the left, to the way he held his paws close to his chest. By studying his opponent the blonde was able to interpret and predict his next move. The ultimate planned to charge him from the left, using a left jab to disable him. After that was conclude Matt realized how to counter.

WereGarurumon charged, so Matt dashed to the right, avoiding the punch, then swung his sword around, impaling the tip of the blade in the werewolf's side.

The false WereGarurumon coughed and swaggered from the unforeseen blow.

Matt did not wait for the ultimate to fully contemplate his situation, instead he let out a cry, which startled the stillness in the air, then he pushed harder, running his blade all the way through the illusion so that the tip emerged on the other side.

WereGarurumon's dying body slid back until Matt's sword had slipped out of his wounds, he then fell to the ground, panting his last breaths before his body crinkled and burnt, turning into forsaken ash upon the wind.

Matt stared in consternation upon witnessing his victory. He had not expected the illusions to fall so easily. True they did leave enough marks upon his body to forever remind him that their defeat came with a painful price, but he had expected more of a struggle, and less careless tactics then they displayed.

The blonde shook his head, deciding to ponder about the ease of his triumph later; he then turned his attention to the last remaining evil upon the roof.

"Now it's your turn." He announced darkly, as he pointed a threatening figure at the awaiting demon.

Deamon stood off to the side, he had watched the battle between illusion and reality with little interest, not truly caring who won and who met their bitter end.

"I am impressed Yamato, perhaps you truly could have been a great leader, but that does not matter now, for you see I've already won." Deamon chanted in a voice as cold as the North Wind.

Matt clutched his sword tightly, twisting it in his grasp to better remind himself that it was there, then he took a few steps towards the arrogant demon. His eyes froze over, and the blood once matted in his hair began to melt in the heat of his sweat and trickle down his face like crimson tears.

"What do you mean? You're all alone now, you can't continue to rely on your tricks to kill me." The blonde replied in a tone that spelled fearless.

Deamon sneered at the battle scared teen, the boy's posture and eyes made him seem so alien to the rest of the human race, but the dark area digimon paid no attention to the boy's dignified traits. 

"Kill you?" the demon laughed in amusement; "I don't have to kill you. You and everything else in this world are already dead." He hissed out cruelly.

"What?" Matt question in confusion before realization hit. Without hesitation the blonde looked into the sky, only to have his fears confirmed as he saw the vortex touch heaven and grasp at the sky, like sickly hands grasp at health, trying desperately to pollute it so that they might be one.

"You see it is over. The darkness will cover the whole of your world, and everything and everyone will become nothing." Deamon expressed in glee, knowing that there was nothing that could stop him now. His illusions had successfully distracted the teen long enough for the vortex to grow into maturity, and now it was unstoppable.

Matt's blood ran cold, he felt the color drain from his face, and the life drain from his limbs. His breath caught within his lungs, and his legs gave out causing him to fall to his knees.

The darkness began to vein out in the sky, starting from where the vortex first met the heavens, and spreading like a virus over the world. It was an eclipse of mortuary, a shadow that would sweep life away, burning it in darkness. Already the air grew thin as the vortex sucked it in, replacing oxygen with suffocation.

Matt choked and coughed, feeling the lack of air in his already oxygen-starved body. His eyes began to water as he fought for air, and he watched helplessly as the umbra plague overtook the sky, spreading towards the battle beyond the buildings and across the city.

"Can you feel it?" Deamon questioned, breathing in the damaged air as though it were intoxicating. "Your friends, already they are falling." He stated in pleasure.

Matt's gaze diverted from the phantom across the sky, and turned to the dark area digimon. His teeth gritted in anger, and he clutched his sword tightly in his right hand.

"All over the world people are slipping into darkness. They try to save themselves, but care nothing for those around them, this is the ultimate test of compassion, who would stop their quest for survival to save another." Deamon chanted proudly, he knew that humans by nature were selfish, that their courageous words betray them when it's time to take action.

Matt wanted to argue with the demon's belief, but he could not. He barely had enough air to breath, and wasting it on speaking made little sense.

'He's right, they're dying, and there's nothing I can do.' The blonde thought frantically to himself; already he could feel his friends fading. The fire of Courage was burning out, the light of Hope was slowly fading, he knew it, and they were suffocating just as he was.

'I have to think of something, I can't let them die. I won't let them die!'

Determination rose within the blonde, and he turned once again to his enemy, who appeared to be preparing his final good-bye.

"Kill…me…" the teen suddenly coughed out, causing his opponent to turn around in surprise.

"What?" Deamon hissed in confusion.

"Close the gate…" Matt wheezed out painfully, "And kill me instead… all you wanted was me…" he released his hold on his sword as his dying body fell forward. It took all the strength he had left to use his right arm to hold himself up. "Spare them… and destroy me…" he finished before he began to wheeze and pant, struggling for each painful breath.

The vortex grew above, spreading further across the land and now the sea. The world was in darkness and death was coming for all.

"It's not possible." Deamon stuttered in anger, "You're already dying, why should I find your request selfless? No one would truly give their life for another if they had a chance to live." 

Matt clutched his stomach in pain, his lungs felt as though they were on fire. "You've already seen such selflessness today…" he whispered softly.

Deamon growled in frustration, "And if you had a chance to live now?" he questioned between gritted teeth.

Matt began to sway from where he sat, darkness began to sweep over him, and tears trailed down his face. He could no longer feel them, his friends, his troops, they were gone, and hope was lost.

"Take what… you want from me, do what…you want to me… if my life is worth anything… then please take it… and harm no one else…" The blonde whispered out in his last shaky breath before the darkness clouded over his mind, and the last of the air was sucked from his veins, leaving him cold.

He crumpled to the ground in a heap of dried blood and cold flesh, leaving the demon alone to his craft.

The vortex covered the heavens, plunging the world in shadow; the dying wind played a soft dirge as man fell to the ground suffocating.

Deamon kept his eyes upon the crumpled form of his opponent, with his sword lying beside him, then turned, knowing that it was time to leave for the darkness was slowly raining upon the earth.

However before the demon lord could walk away something drew his attention back to the boy behind him. A light, dim and almost celestial was radiating off of the teen. 

Deamon's eyes widened as he saw the blonde's chest slowly begin to rise up and down, and the fair illumination grow into a strong blue light. To the demon's further horror the boy began to move, slowly at first, like someone fighting off a long sleep, before he at last awoke and sat up.

It was when the teen at last opened his eyes that Deamon stumbled back in fright, unlike the cold glowing orbs, that where trademark to the blonde's power, he saw gentle blue eyes, burning like the hottest of fires. 

Matt shifted his position, and then slowly stood. The look upon his face was indescribable, it seemed impassive and yet there was both a kindness and sorrow, which seemed to radiate from his every feature. The teen was in a trance, operating purely on instinct.

Deamon looked upon him in wonder, unable to understand what was happening, that was when his awestruck eyes landed upon the ring. All around the teen was a halo of blue, except for the silver ring, which hung around his neck upon a silver chain. It glowed in its native color like a distant star, and Deamon knew what it was, and who its former barer was.

The blonde, still in his trance like state, reached around his neck and pulled the sliver chain over his head, he then held the ring tightly in his right hand, allowing the chain to sway out of his grasp.

Upon his chest shone the Crest of Friendship, more potent and glorious than ever before, and in his hand was the Spiritual Ring, its power awakened by the teen selflessness and friendship.

Deamon looked upon the show, knowing that he would be the only one to witness or remember this event.

Matt's crest grew brighter, and the ring shone in a glory it had not known for ages. The light overtook the rooftop, blinding the demon and spreading into the sky, where it met the plague of darkness. 

The Light and Darkness battled for dominion over the heavens, but in the end the darkness was defeated, and the light spread across the land, awaking the dying people and digimon, calling them all back to life. 

The darkness fully vanished. Both the vortex and the gate, which Deamon's troops used to enter this world, shut, leaving a cloudless night sky, where both stars and moon rained down their welcoming glow.

Once the darkness was gone the glow faded, leaving Matt to fall to his knees, with no memory or understanding of what took place.

Matt opened his eyes, revealing his azure glare.

Deamon cowered upon the rooftop, still in fright of the light, which had faded, and the boy, which had achieved the impossible. He had shut, not only the vortex, but also the gate to the Dark Ocean, leaving the mega with no where to run.

Matt's hands were shaking, and his mind was racing, he didn't understand what happened, but he knew that it had something to do with the silver ring, which was still clutched in his right hand. Beside him rested his sword, glistening in the moon's silver light, and before him was his enemy, cowering from the power he had just displayed.

Seeing the demon with his head covered by his shaky hands, caused the blonde to suddenly return to reality. Without rushing, Matt returned the Spiritual Ring to its place around his neck, then found his sword, gripping it tightly in his right hand. He then rose from the ground slowly; still feeling exhausted from the day's events, then stepped softly towards the Demon Lord.

Deamon still shook and whimpered, the light had burnt his eyes, leaving him blind. "It's not possible… not possible…" the mega stuttered out in mad confusion, "How could a boy like you have defeated me?"

Matt was now standing behind the demon; his penumbra shadowed the trembling digimon. "Because I fight for something greater than myself, I fight for the right to live, and to live in peace and freedom." He explained with sympathy, suddenly taking pity upon the helpless mega.

He raised his sword above the mega, twisting it within his two hands. "Die in peace, knowing that I will not repeat the mistakes of my predecessor, I am the Lord of The Nightmare Soldiers, but more importantly, I am the Digidestined of Friendship." 

And with that he brought his sword down, impaling the demon in the skull. Black blood oozed from the wound and swung over the rooftop as he roughly pulled his sword out.

Without a sound Deamon fell full to his stomach, his body lie motionless for a few seconds, and jet-black fluid began to form a puddle beneath him, then a black light began to radiate off of his body. The light then grew intense; it began to split his robe. Ribbons of deep red fabric fell around him, soaking up some of the black blood that had collected beneath him. 

Matt shuttered a bit upon feeling the demon's dark energy leave his body. Once his clothes had completely split and fallen around him, his body lied there completely exposed. The blonde had never seen Deamon in his true form, and though he looked much like VenomMyotismon there were still a few differences.

Deamon was smaller, his coloring was of grays, black, and dull purples, and he did not possess a head of wild blonde hair. 

The teen bit the side of his lip, not certain of what would happen next, that was until Deamon's body began to split apart, much like his clothes had. Soon ribbons of data flew around him, and the teen watched, almost mesmerized, as the stripes of data danced upon the wind before dispersing and blowing away.

Now he was alone, the victor upon a bloodied battlefield. He thought that if would have been more satisfying than this, but he was wrong. It was his first victory, and all he felt was numb. Everything within him was frozen for this was his place, to kill, so that others might live. To sell his soul one piece at a time and to forever stray from the path of innocents, so that others might sleep peacefully at night. 

'I am a warrior, I am a guardian of the innocent, I am The Lord of The Nightmare Soldiers.'

The wind blew around him trying to soothe his pain, but he did not feel it because he was completely numb.

~*~*~

He wasn't certain of what happened, all he could recall was the sky. Darkness veined across the heaven, stretching over them like the shadow of a great wing, and riding upon this darkness was the essence of death. Caliginosity painted over crimson, blue, and purple, leaving the world pitch black. 

Screams of terror began to ring from both the field and from behind the line, filling his head with the sound of frighten souls. He could hear his sister's voice, crying desperately in the darkness, calling his name, but he could not find her. The darkness crippled his movement, and he did not walk for fear of wandering into the chaos on the other side of the line. 

The screaming continued, and random attacks were released at nothing, the creatures acting off of fear. But then the cries stopped, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, and suddenly he could not breathe. It felt as though something was choking him, stealing his breath from inside his lungs. He coughed and swayed until he fell to the ground. Around him he could hear muffled confusion and distress, but soon even those sounds faded and all he heard was his own raspy breaths. 

He was suffocating; the air itself was gone. The darkness seemed to flow from around him into his pupils then into his head, clogging his thoughts so that all he could remember was the feeling of dying, and then darkness.

That he understood. He understood the hopelessness and confusion in those final moments, but what was now made no sense. Now he stood upon a bloodied street, surrounded by his friends along with their rookie partners, looking upon the wreckage where a battle once took place. 

He recalled feeling warm inside, and suddenly there was light. Within the light was a voice, calling him back to consciousness, he recognized the voice, though he could not remember where he had heard it. He did as the call commanded and opened his eyes, where he was greeted by something far different then he had expected.

He was greeted by many twinkling stars and the moon wrapped in its silver veil. Scattered around him were his friends, who were either already awake or beginning to stir. 

Upon the field lied piles of sleeping bodies, some of which would never wake again, and their data disperse and scattered, startling those that slept around them. Many for both good and evil died, but those who would continue to live awoke and crawled out of their concrete beds. In their eyes was the same confusion as was in his mind, but this confusion did not prevent the battle from continuing where it left off.

Now the numbers were far more even, and the armies began to pound away at each other once more, forgetting completely of the darkness in the sky, and the light that called them back.

Now the battle was different. The Digidestined's partners seemed to be infused with a new power and from this power they drew the strength to finally defeat their enemies.

MagnaAngemon flew into the sky, and summoning his new strength, opened the Gate of Destiny. The Golden Gate pulled in all of the weaker wickedness, until Deamon's troops had been reduced to merrily a handful then shut, sealing them away forever.

The rest of the Digidestined's partners scattered over the field and fought along side the remaining Nightmare Soldiers, destroying what was left of the opposing army.

Angewomon cornered Warumonzaemon then used her Celestial Arrow to pierce his heart. The puppet digimon screamed in pain as the light traveled through his data, then the twisted costume that covered his body split upon the head, then slid off of his body revealing a pure yellow bar. The purified Monzeamon smiled in gratitude to the female angel, before his data broke apart and returned to the digital world, where it would be reconfigured at Primary Village.

The last to have his victory was WarGreymon. Megidramon had awaked but was badly injured from the light, which awoke him. In one powerful Terra Force, WarGreymon destroyed the evil dragon, proving to the world that he was the true ruler of flames.

Victory on this day belonged to the light, and the Nightmare Soldiers and Digidestined celebrated together, forgetting the strange events in the sky and focusing on the glory of the darkness' defeat.

But he could not celebrate as the others did. His eyes where still strained upon the heavens, and his mind still raced with questions. Soon he was joined by two others, both of whom shared his questions and concerns.

"Something has changed within Matt, I can feel it." A gruff voice stated in concern, drawing the brunette's attention away from the sky and unto the two new comers.

"Is it a good change or a bad change?" TK's shaky voice questioned softly.

WereGarurumon only shook his head to indicate that he did not know. "We should not worry about that now, let us just be thankful that it is finally over." The ultimate replied, as he looked upon the two humans kindly.

Once the brief exchanges of words were complete another joined their party. Sora came running to the three solemn figures wearing a bright smile. 

"Come on guys let's celebrate, it's finally over!" she cheered in joy.

TK and WereGarurumon smiled back at the enthusiastic girl then followed her back to the group, ready to join in their joy.

Tai watched without a word as his companions followed the red hair girl over to the festivities, then turned his eyes back upon the sky. There was none that he could speak to, so he announced to the heavens his thoughts. 

"No, it's only beginning." 

The Leader of the Digidestined thought sternly to himself, but soon he band the thoughts, knowing that this was a time to celebrate for there would be peace, at least for a little while, and that was all he needed to know.

The brunette raced over to where his friends were jumping and cry out in victory, and joined them in their party. Deamon was finally defeated.

~*~*~ 

He stood exalted above the masses as the very symbol of the South. Below were millions upon millions, who had come to pay their respects and show their devotion. 

Candlemon and Tapirmon stood close to the cliff's sides, while Goburimon and SnowGaburimon jumped and cheered behind them. DemiDevimon and Tsukaimon flapped their large ears quickly, so that they could stay above the crowds. Sethmon and Mammothmon pounded the ground with their four powerful feet, while Apemon and BlackGatomon climbed upon their backs, so that they might better see.

Hyogamon and Flarerizamon jumped around in a wild dance, and Soulmon, Bakemon, and Ponchomon whooped and hollered with glee.

To one side were the great wizards, Sorcermon, Wizardmon, and Flawizardmon, along with the sorceress, Doumon, Taomon, Sakuyamon, and Kuzuhamon, all of whom raised their staffs in respect. To the other side were the fallen angel and demon digimon. Devidramon crouched low upon their elevation on the rocks, while Gargoylemon floated above them. Devimon, Icedevimon, SkullSatamon, and Ladydevimon stood around their gate keeper companions with looks of pride in their usually fierce eyes.

The celebration was unlike any the Digital World had ever seen. The digimon jumped and shouted, danced and sang, all in pride of their origins and praise to their Lord. 

The mountain of Trica stood in all of its glory, and in the distance around it stood the four Citadels, all restored to their former radiance. The three summits of Trica reached high into the sky, and young white clouds brushed over and around the peaks. The sun shone down in golden rays, lighting the world so that the digimon and people could celebrate the whole of the day. The wind blew in cool from the North, signifying that winter would soon spread its hand upon the Southern Lands.

"There's so many. Are they all your servants?" a gentle voice asked in wonderment.

An amused chuckle came from behind the owner of the voice, and soon a welcoming arm was swung comfortably over his shoulder. "I don't really like to think of them as my servants, they are my people, but they are not bound to me by any contract. In a way, I am more of a servant to them then they are to me."

TK turned his head slightly so that he could look his brother in the eyes. "You're really happy here, aren't you." The younger boy stated a little disappointedly.

Matt was silent for a moment, then pulled his arm off of his brother's shoulder and turned so that he could better see the younger boy. "TK, it is my destiny to be here now, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but that does not, and will never, change how I feel about you." The older boy replied with conviction, "I will always be your brother, and I would never do anything if it meant I would have to give up you."

TK smiled, knowing that his brother was telling the truth, "Thanks Matt." He expressed as he and the older blonde embraced in a tight hug.

"I love you lil bro." 

"I love you too Matt." The younger blonde replied with a smile. 

The two stayed in their hug for a few seconds, that was until a sad sigh drew their attention to the person standing behind them.

"What?" Matt questioned with a smirk, as he pulled away from his brother. "You want a hug too?" 

Standing behind the two blondes was Tai, in a mock display of neglect.

"No, no that's okay," The brunette responded with another dramatic sigh, "I mean, I'm only your best friend, who has stood by you through thick and thin, why would I get a hug?" he went on with his woe-is-me show.

"I'm glad you see it my way." Matt replied with a smile, before turning around, leaving the brunette in the midst of his skit.

"Hey!" Tai exclaimed before crossing his arms over his chest and plastering a huge frown on his face.

Matt spun back around and offered his friend a sly grin, "Just kidding." He explained before running up to the other boy and pulling him into a big hug.

Tai remained in his dejected pose, as Matt pulled away. "Sure now you want a hug." He stated bitterly.

Matt and TK both shook their head as if to say they gave up.

Tai then smiled and dropped his arms, "All right I forgive you." He stated with a grin.

"For what?" Matt asked in confusion, before throwing his arms in the air in frustration.

"For being you." Tai replied before waving his hand dismayingly. "Now go give your speech, Lord Yamato."

Matt shook his head, looking incredibly stressed, "It's official, I'm going to have gray hairs before I'm thirty." The blonde expressed in exasperation, "Oh, and if you ever call me Lord Yamato again I'll have you thrown into the dungeon." 

"And we have a really nice one." A gruff voice added, causing the three boys to turn their attention from each other, to their new companion. "It's time." The voice continued with confidence.

Matt nodded; suddenly dropping his smile and transforming from care free teen, to noble Lord. "All right." He replied to his partner, before leaving his companions in the center of Trica, and walking to the ledge.

Immediately silence washed over the land. Many in the crowd bowed low in respect, while others looked up with loving eyes, hanging on every move their Lord made.

To his right lined his Generals, all of whom stood in order, with pride and dignity. To his left stood the Digidestined and their partners, who were scattered about, but still wore faces of confidence.

And in the center stood Matt alone, no longer on trial, but always under the eyes of judgment. His people trusted and loved him now, he had proven his worth and had accomplished much in the few weeks he had been their ruler, but still there was much to be done.

Matt took one more step towards the ledge, while he was not nervous about giving his speech, he still was not use to it. Standing before such a crowd played with his nerves and his mind, but he held his pose, took a deep breath and prepared to speak.

"Nightmare Soldiers, dignified warriors." The blonde began, causing cheers to rise from the crowd, before they died down again and the digimon waited. "Today we celebrate victory over, not only our enemy, but an enemy to the entire Digital World. The last of Deamon's followers, who sought refuge in the Dark Ocean have been located and eliminated. Now we can truly say that his evil has been erased from this world, and that freedom and peace are once again safe."

The crowd cheered again, this time more wildly than before, and it took longer for them to fall under control again.

"But we must not forget that all victories come with a price, and we have paid heavily for ours. Evil will always threaten peace, that is a cycle which has been in place long before I arrived, and will be here long after I leave. Over all of the ages digimon have fought and died for what they believe in, we should honor them, and their struggles by never forgetting their sacrifices and courage. This is a new age we are entering; it is young and full of possibility, let us not waste its potential by holding on to hatreds from ages past. Let us enter this new time with wisdom drawn from our previous mistakes, and a desire not to repeat them. Let's make it so future generation will be able to look back and say that change started now. We only get so many chances in life, and so much time to take them, let's take this chance now, and show the entire Digital World that we are a race of Nobility and Virtue. Let's let the whole Digital World know that we are The Nightmare Soldiers!"

The multitude cheered wildly. There was no more question, no more doubt both the South and the whole Digital World knew that this is the Lord of The Nightmare Soldiers. 

~*~*~

And so ends over a year of my life, but with every end comes a new beginning. Which basically means that, yes, there will be a sequel, there has to be, I mean, look at all of the plot wholes I left. Anyway they're will be more on the sequel latter, right now I want to know what you thought about this fic. Tell me everything, how did you feel about it as a whole, what did you think about the last chapter? Do you have and questions or complaints, now is the time to be heard. I take all of your comments very seriously, and if you want something done differently for the sequel than you at least have to give me an idea on what needs to change.

Okay, while this is the last "chapter" I do plan on adding an epilogue later to give the ending a little more of a personal touch. I don't know when I'll get it out, and since it's not crucial to the plot, I'm not going to stress about it, but it will be added to this fic at some point or another, so keep a look out if your interested. As for the sequel, I'll give you a bit of a preview on it when I post the epilogue.

Now the most important thing is to say THANK YOU to everyone who has read and reviewed and put up with my many mistakes and long brakes, you guys are awesome, and this fic truly would have not finished if it weren't for all of you, so thanks.

Now please review give me your opinions and maybe tell me if you plan on reading the epilogue or not, I just want to know if it's going to be a waste of time to write. Well peace out people, and keep your eyes open, because I will be back * evil laughter *…


	18. Winter

A/N: well here it is, the last update that will be added to this particular fic. It's hard to believe that I spent over a year of my life working on this fic, and to think the story itself is not even done yet. I still have to conclude the legacy of the Nightmare Soldiers with the sequel. I know I said this was going to be an epilogue but it ended up like a chapter. Anyway it's not crucial to the plot but it does sort of bridge the way to the sequel.

Thanks to every who has reviewed and is still here following this little tale. I hope it hasn't been a let down to anyone so far.

~*~*~

The wind sang a soft dirge as it caressed the land with as much care as a mother's hand strokes her sleeping babe. The land was asleep, blanketed under winter's lacy veil. Snow as pure and white as the feathers on an angel's wing drifted slowly from gray clouds, masking the trees, the soil, and even the water in the wonder of the season. 

Rivers and lakes froze over leaving thick ice as transparent as glass to cover both deep and shallow waters. Trees once left bare from the dying autumn were now clothed in a frozen suit of ice and snow. The gray clouds moved slowly over the land, casting shadows as they went. The sun, which once shone down golden and bright, had been cut off by the livid clouds and now fought its way down loosing much of its potency until the golden ray had been reduced to pale gray.

The mountains stood tall and reached high into the low clouds, and the evergreen trees scattered around their bare companions making the forest seem less empty and exposed. Even the proud land of the South had its weaknesses, and the land which once flourished under the warm sun and silver moon now laid at the mercy of the changing season. Not even the wizards of the South could chase Skade away, she came by her own will and shaped all to fit an image more to her liking. 

Though most of the digimon of the South found winter too distasteful to relish in, there were some who could think of no better time of the year. The Garurumon and WereGarurumon left their homes upon the mountains and ran freely upon the frozen planes of the Southern continent. Icedevimon no longer sought refuge from the smoldering heat upon the highest peaks of the continent but now roamed freely upon the land, mocking those who feared winter's control.

Despite most digimon's dislike of the lingering ice and snow, even the flower and fire types could appreciate a day such as this one. The clouds were a little thinner than normal, allowing more sunlight to leek through, and the wind was not as harsh, but instead was gentle and cool. The fresh snow flakes fell like white petals floating slowly to earth, where they'd lay perfectly on the land sparkling in the sun's rays.

The mountains were abandoned and would be for many months, for what digimon of the hiemal season would truly waste such a time admits the clouds and stone, when they could roam about the planes without care or worry of interference. And so the higher regions were vacant, those who were not roaming about the planes and forests were hidden deep under the mountains or seeking other such refuge. 

It was a time such as this that one could feel totally alone, amidst the cold, the wind, and the sunless sky. There was no comfort in the higher regions of the Southern continent, no protection from the gray obscurity, at least none that any were willing to risk death to find. And so the mountains were lonely and one would feel nothing but alone when climbing them. 

But feeling alone seemed customary to the figure trekking through the thick snow upon the ground, seemingly oblivious to his harsh surroundings. The wind, which was gracefully dancing over the planes, was rough and wild in the mountains. The sun, which was lightly touching the land below drowned in a sea of gray fog before it could ever reach the mountain, and all the majesty of the season was stripped away, revealing winter for the cruel destroyer she truly was.

The figure took large strides, lifting his long legs up and pushing strongly through the snow, making his way slowly but surely through the thick barrier. He stayed low to avoid the heavy blows from the wind; his thick but tattered black cloak blowing like black wings behind him. The season seemed to throw all of its most unpleasant elements at the wanderer, but still the small figure journeyed on. Soon the cloaked being found some release from the difficult climb as he reached a large flat area of the mountain. 

A thick fog settled upon the area, making the low gray clouds of winter seem harmless and ordinary. Two great cliffs towered above the flat land on both sides, shadowing it in darkness. All was obscured; the shadow and fog hid everything, giving the flat land the eeriest of feelings. Placed on the edge of the fog was a large stone, neither ice nor snow dared to touch it, leaving it exposed for all to see. In many places the gray rock was stained black, and the figure instantly recognized the blotched of darker color to be spilt blood, which had long since dried upon the stone. Carved on one side of the stone was a warning, a warning that had never been ignored. The words were carved in both common Digi-Code and the darker Digi-Code of the South. 

The figure stood for a moment, lifting his cloaked head just enough so that his eyes could scan over the warning. The wind howled around him and he stared at the stone stained in familiar blood and read the words, "**Death will come on swift wings to any who walk upon this sacred land**." The words were simple and they ran through the cloaked figure's mind quickly before being dismissed. 

The figure stole one quick look behind him; his path up the mountain was already concealed, as the rapidly falling snow filled it in, making it seem as though the mountains had never been disturbed. A great plane lay below the mountain and then a forest could be seen in the far distance. The figure noted exactly how much the view had changed since he last saw it, then turned back to the shadow and fog. The flat land stood threateningly before him, and any other would not have the courage to trek any further into the unseen and unknown, but he had faced many unseen and unknown things, and never once had he turned back. So stretching until he stood as tall as possible the figure took one leisurely step forward, then another until his black form vanished in the fog.

The fog seemed to thicken the further he went, and the air grew even colder, making the winter chill beyond the mist seem as warm as a summer afternoon. The cliffs loomed over the flat land, causing all shadows to get lost in each other, merging into one great darkness. Below the rocky terrain began to even out. Each step became softer, until the cloaked figure felt as though he was walking on soft soil. 

The figure continue to walk blindly through the silver cloud, his arms and black gloved hands swung freely at his side and his head was down cast, eyes locked upon the unseen earth below. Silence encompassed him and the atmosphere remained the same for some time, that was until drew the figure's attention in front of him. 

An image blurred and bleak was beginning to take form in the mist. The figure found that the closer he got the more defined the image became, until he at last grew close enough to make out what it was. It was a statue, standing far higher than the cloaked being. The statue was that of a dragon with brittle demon wings, long sharp talons, and many eyes. As the figure looked around the slowly thinning mist, he found that there were in fact three statues, all of the same type of dragon, though none of them were in the same stance.

The statues were elevated on round pillars, which stood only three feet high. The dragon on the far left, which happened to be the statue closes to the figure, stood on its back two feet with its right arm pulled back as though it were preparing to through a powerful punch. Its long black tail was held up and curved around to its left side, while it left arm hung at its side with its sharp talons pointed out. Its mouth was shut and its head looked downwards to the ground. The second statue, which stood in the center, was also perched on its hind legs with its front arms hanging limply in front of him. Its pose gave more the impression of a dog begging for table scraps, rather than a fierce stone guardian, except for the fact that its mouth was open wide in a silent roar, and its many eyes seemed to stare at you no matter where you stood. The last of the statues was crouched down upon all four legs with both its wings and tail raised above its body. Its mouth was shut and its head titled to the right, almost as though it were seeing something of interest, while its stone eyes stared forward.

"Death will come upon swift wings." The cloaked figure quote the warning he read before entering the fog as he studied the statues before him. 

A gloved hand lay gently upon the statue closest to the figure in respect. The ice which coated all three of the statues seemed to glistened in response to the being's touch, before dying out leaving the dragons as cold and lifeless as stone. The figure removed his hand quickly from the statue then journeyed on, leaving behind the swift wings of death.

The blanket of fog thickened once again, but by now the cloaked figure had grown accustom to the mist and would have felt it odd if it had not reappeared. The traveler's steps were perfectly aligned, never once did he stray from his thoroughfare, he followed it through the fog until at last he reached his destination. 

With one last step the fog quickly brushed past him, as though a great breathe blew it away. The figure's head hung low until the silver mist was fully behind him, then he lifted his head, his face still shadowed by the cloak. His head turned from one side to another while he looked over the area closely, learning every detail of the clearing before returning his attention to what stood before him.

The figure looked at what lay before him, not in amazement or curiosity, but in cold acceptance. Like a person who had seen so many great wonders that all seem trivial to him. While all around him would gawk and marvel at such beautiful stone walls and statues, the figure had gazed upon it so many times that all splendor they might have possessed had long since dulled in his mind.

Despite the figure's disinterest in the glamorous walls, it was a welcoming sight in comparison to the mountain and fog that had come before it. The stone walls were high and perfectly laid. Each gray brick glistened from both the frost that coated them and the smooth polish that never seemed to dull upon them. The bricks were of a darker gray, bordering more on black, and with their polish surfaces they looked more like smooth iron rather than stone. The walls were solid and thick, reaching twenty feet high. Lined on top of the walls were pointed metal, like the tip of a lance, they stuck out of the top of the walls until one wall met another, then the pattern was broken by an object of the same design but larger in size.

A small chuckle escaped the lips of the cloaked figure as thought of how dark and forlorning the walls appeared. But he did not dwell on it long as he walk leisurely towards the only entrance to the enclosed land. The entrance was carved directly into the wall. It was wide and above it was an arch covering. The arch reached up above the entrance until it formed two slants and on the very top was a gothic cross, similar to the Celtic cross only with extravagant lining and sharpened edges. Resting upon the ground on either side of the entrance were two statues. 

The figure instantly thought back to the three statues he had seen on his way here, but dismissed the past quickly, and went to study the two statues by the entrance. Unlike the three statues before these statues did not appear terrifying, nor did they give off any short of threatening omen. They were not great dragons with razor demon wings, dagger like talons, and sharp animal teeth, but appeared more like a cross between a gargoyle and an angel. They had long reptile tails, thin bodies with shorter legs and arms that reached past their kneecaps. Their faces were narrow like a snout, and upon their eyes were straps, which crossed over their face. For ears they had feathers that branched above their heads like wings, and the last and most noticeable feature upon them was the two perfect wings, which sprouted from their backs.

The figure took a small step forward, noting that the two guardian statues were not of gray stone but of white, so polished and fine that they glistened like pearls. The two gargoyles stood on their back legs, their heads were bowed and their wings pointed into the heavens. Their long arms were held up and close to their chest as though they were praying and their long reptile tails lay comfortable on the two large stone tablets below them.

The figure sighed, his breath forming a noticeable cloud in the cold clear air, then he continued to walk. He walked past the statues and to the entrance, never once raising his head to look upon the walled area's guardians. He past on the arch entrance way shivering as a gush of freezing air pushed past him from inside the walls, then stepped through. When looking through the entrance from the outside you can see nothing, only endless black, stretching so far that it almost seemed to reach out from behind the walls to grab at any who made it this far. But once inside the scenery changes, the feeling changes, everything changes. The darkness which goes on for an eternity fades away, and the cold that reaches deep into you melts and you are warm again. The figure past under the entrance emerging from the shadow into what could only be described as a dream.

Hidden deep within Skade's icy kingdom was a paradise. A garden protected by stone walls and stone statues. The figure walked further in, his covered head moved from side to side as he looked the area over, then a black gloved hand rose to his face, pushing the tattered hood off of his head. The hood fell upon the figures neck revealing hair as golden as summer sun's light, skin fair but still glowing in health, and eyes of the iciest blue, putting all of winter's marvels to shame. 

"Nothing's changed." The words were spoken softly and to no one. 

Quickly the young man became incredibly aware of the new and far warmer temperature in the garden and he slowly removed his cloak and the thick coat beneath it. Beneath his layers he was clad in all black, a long sleeve black shirt, which clung to him tightly revealing his defined muscles, loose black slacks, and short black boots, fit for climbing over rough terrain. 

The young man discarded his outer garments by the entrance, then continued through the garden, taking in every detail that he already knew so well. There was a lined path of polished red and black stone, which branched off in many different directions through the whole garden. Dark green grass made up the majority of the garden's floor, and plant life was scattered all around. There was a small crystal stream, which curved through the garden, and lying all about in the bottom of the stream were thousands of tiny rubies, gems of the deepest blood red thrown carelessly into the clear water like pebbles. 

An unusual type of ivy grew high unto the walls, the vines were dark green with leaves of a lighter green, however in the center of the leaves was a short of black cross design, and tiny white flowers sprouted amongst the vines and leaves. Over in the far-left corner of the large garden was a tree, native to the Southern continent of the Digital World. The tree seemed to be a short of willow, with branches that hung like a veil around the trunk, however the leaves of the tree were pure white and large red flowers always bloomed on the branches. 

The young man smiled, pleased with the end result of the garden. All of the colors were rich and dark, and flowers of deep reds, white, and black grew freely about the area, it was, in his mind, truly beautiful and oddly fitting. 

The smile on the young man's face broadened even more as he held out his hand and caught one of the small white flakes, which were falling like soft feathers around him. He closed his hand around the flake, then continued to walk on further into the garden. It was unusual, the garden was always bright and warm, yet snow still fell. Never ceasing the snow would float gently to the garden floor and melt within a second in the heat.

"'By a rout obscure and lonely,

Haunted by ill angels only,

Where and Eidolon, named NIGHT,

On a black throne reigns upright,

I have reached these lands but newly

From an ultimate dim Thule-

From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime,

Out of Space- out of Time.'"

The young man recited the poem softly, his voice flowing on the air like a haunted melody. He walked upon the stone path his eyes of ice downcast, as shadow danced upon the blue orbs and memories raced through his young mind.

"The I will heal you! I've done it before."

"Not this time My Lord. There is a virus in my, the attack has rendered it, so that I can not be saved."

It wasn't that the attack made it so that you could not be healed, it was that I just wasn't strong enough. I didn't even try!

The young man gritted his teeth as his crystal eyes began to glisten with the many tears he had held back for so long. He couldn't cry not now, not ever. It was selfish for one of his position to let such emotions rule him, and so he would not allow himself to give in, not like before.

__

"I can't act on hate! It will only destroy me. I should fight Deamon to protect others from suffering…"

'But you are suffering now. And look at your friends and brother, they suffer now as well.'

"They wouldn't want me to be like this…"

'But they are not here. They don't know what you're going through, but I do. You're in pain, but you can escape it.'

"I don't want to escape it!"

__

I don't understand what happened to me then, the anger and the power. It was like everything I had tried to keep inside was forcing its way out. I had never felt so powerful. Even the pain of my skin splitting from the energy was exhilarating. That's probably the most frightening part, it felt good. It felt right to let my emotions hold sway upon my powers and abilities. But I can't allow that to happen. I can't allow myself to give in again…

'You are the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, embrace hatred, destroy your oppressor and be freed from your pain.'

The blonde shook his head quickly trying to push back the voice, which still echoed in his mind as strongly as it had that day. Deciding to keep the past in the past for awhile longer, he continued to walk through the garden heading to the most distinct article of the walled area, a shrine. 

It still amazed the teen at how beautiful the shrine ended up. His close companion and trusted advisor Sorcermon had designed the memorial perfectly, making sure that it did justice to the one it represented. The shrine resembled a gazebo with its dome top, and exquisite pillars, however, its make made it far more extraordinary. The dome ceiling was made of deep red glass, which seemed to weave into each other leaving leaf shaped gapes. The pillars were of dark metal, and were formed in the shape of three vines, which circulated from the stone floor to the glass ceiling. At the ceiling between each pillar was an archway lined in the same dark metal, also taking the form of vines. The floor was on the same stone, which formed the pathways throughout the garden. The stone was red all around except for the center where black stone was laid in the shape of the Crest of Friendship, and placed in the center of the crest was a statue.

The troubled blonde walked until he came to the edge of the shrine. Sorrow flashed over his azure eyes as he looked at the statue in the center of the gazebo. He then lowered his eyes as though he was afraid that someone, possibly even the stone figure, would see his pain. Taking a deep breathe to steady himself and push back the heart ache, he walk on his head still bowed, until he stood before the statue, then his head lifted quickly.

Now his fear of hiding his pain seemed to have vanished as tears streaked down his pale checks. The light, both crimson and golden, which past through the ceiling above seemed to glow like a furnace in the blonde's glistening eyes. The red and yellow light shifted over his face as he moved closer to the statue, his eyes both burning and bleeding his feelings. He stood close then placed his shaking left hand upon the face of Ladydevimon, then gently kissed her left stone check before falling to his knees at her feet.

"The world has heard your song Matt, now you must convince them that it is real. And remember… that you will never be alone. I lived because of you, and I will live forever for you, My Lord… My friend."

"What song?" he moaned, a broken Lord, unable to understand his own reasons for living. "What have I to offer the world, when I could not even keep you from dying?" 

He was on his knees before the elegant statue of the fallen angel. His hands were placed in front of him, his shaking arms holding up his trembling body. His tears now flowed forth uncontrollably, sliding from his fair checks unto the stone floor below.

__

You died, what's to stop the others from dying? Is it my fate to watch everyone around me slowly be claimed by war or the passage of time?

"I don't want to be alone…" the blonde whispered, his voice no longer quivering, but instead took on a steady tone, which almost sound reasonable. "I know it's selfish of me to come to you like this. You gave your life for peace and a future for both worlds, but what if we were wrong?" he questioned gently as though he truly were holding a conversation. Slowly he sat up, no longer feeling the weakness that came from letting his grief flow out.

"What if peace is the illusion, and those who die for it fools. Ophanimon warned me, you warned me, but what were you trying to tell me? That history will repeat itself? That I can't change what is meant to happen? That war will forever plague this world? I use to think I was in control of my own destiny, but the more I fall into the role as Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers, the more I beginning to think that someone else is pulling the strings."

The young Lord sighed then ran a hand through his golden hair pulling it out of his face for a moment, only to have the wild locks fall back into his lost eyes. 

__

Piedmon believed that we are all subject to a higher will, maybe he was right, at least for us. I only wish I had more answers. Ophanimon knew more than she told me, it wasn't the impending war that frightened her, it was I. But why…

At this thought Matt rose his hand to his neck, his slender fingers meet with cool metal and he grabbed the chain around his neck and lifted it up so that the trinket dangling from it was freed from underneath his black shirt. Blue eyes stared hard at the silver ring dangling from a silver chain as though he were questioning the ring and its purpose.

__

I trust Lady Ophanimon, I do. I know her intentions are good and her reasons for keeping secrets from me just, but still, I wish she had not been so vague with me. There is some great secret that haunts this world, and everyone, even those who don't know it seem afraid of it. It's like a shadow hangs over all, and ignorance of why this shadow is there only seems to make the digimon even more frighten.

Yamato paused in his thoughts for a moment, then looked up at the statue before him. Ladydevimon's eyes looked to the heavens, her arms laid low and opened, and her wings lay down. An affectionate look mixed with sadness fell upon Matt's face and blue eyes. He looked at the statue questionably, his break down seeming so far away that it was almost as though it never happened.

"I wish there was more records, strike that, I wish there was any records on what happened in the Digi-World before the Digi-gods. Creation is counted when they were born; however I thick what history means by that was the beginning of a new era. I think the Digi-World is considered new and reborn with the beginning of each era. But I could be wrong, and not even the Digi-gods seem to know what happened before their creation."

__

Deamon knew something…

"What did he mean by the 'Ritual of Destruction'? It had something to do with Piedmon. Will I truly repeat his mistakes? Am I doomed to follow in his footsteps."

__

'Of course you are.'

At this the blonde tensed. His breathing quickened and his heart began pounding. He could not hide the fear that past over his eyes, even if he wanted to.

"Will you give me no peace at all!" he shouted in growing fright as he placed his hands of his ears defiantly.

'Silly Yamato, there is no such thing as peace. You said so yourself, it's only an illusion. An ideal for the foolish.'

Yamato shudder involuntarily, he had forgotten, let his guard down and actually utter his distress. "I didn't mean that…" he tried arguing.

'If you did not mean it then you would not have said it.' The voice in his head argued cruelly playing with its weakening victim.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" he questioned still shaking.

'I am you.'

The voice replied plainly.

"No!" Yamato argued back weakly.

'Don't you remember? I was with you before. By the lake, remember the power? And then in the cave, I was with you then. Remember the freedom. There was no pain.'

"You nearly destroyed me, I won't let you do it again!" the blonde hissed. He couldn't take it any longer; this voice had been with him for so long. Most of the time it was nothing but a soft whisper in the back of his head, but sometimes, on days like thi,s the voice would grow loud until it was screaming in his head. He did not need inner demons, this one was enough.

'No Yamato, I set you free, I gave you power. Aren't you tired of suffering yet? Give in let, me help you so when others die because of your incompetence you will not have to feel the sting of their blood upon your hands.' 

The voice offered gently almost lovingly.

"It wasn't my fault."

'You couldn't save her, you were too weak. And who will it be next time? Your partner? You brother perhaps?'

Yamato was panting now, he felt as though he could not breathe. These fits had been occurring more often as time went by, and they were worse each time.

'She died because of you. The Crest of Friendship must be meaningless if you were so willing to just let your friend die.'

"Please stop…" the blonde beg, he could no longer take it, the guilt the sorrow, the fear that more could die. "Please just leave me alone."

'I can't. I'm a part of you.'

"No!" the teen half whimpered half shouted.

'You can't escape me, and you can't run away from the truth. You killed Ladydevimon, and more will die because you are too weak.'

The voice was now harsh and spiteful.

Matt could no longer take it. The voice split through his head like a double edge sword and he could not fend it away. Darkness began to surround him. Thick suffocating blackness. He could not see and he could not breathe. It was too much, so he did the only thing he could think to do, he jumped to his feet and turned around preparing to run blindly away, hoping to leave the darkness behind him.

Weakness spread through the blonde's entire body, but it did not stop him. He forced it back, as he prepared to run away, however, his mad rush was brought to an end before it began as his first step was interrupt by an obstruction. Yamato looked up, the darkness clearing away from his gaze just enough for him to see what he had run into. To his surprise he was met with the concern chocolate brown eyes of his best friend and keeper of the Crest of Courage, Taichi.

Matt stood back and looked at his friend closely, making certain that he was not an illusion.

"Matt are you all right?" the brunette questioned with so much concern that it almost made Matt sick. 

He hated being pitied, and so he prepared to plaster a cocky grin on his face and reply with his usual smooth sarcastic tone. But his intentions never came to pass as the weakness that he had forced back, finally caught up with him and he felt his legs go numb beneath him. Darkness came back to claim him and the last thoughts that registered in his mind was the sound of Tai uttering his name in concern and the feeling of his friends warm hands catching him before he fell to the stone ground below.

__

"Something very powerful, knew exactly what to do to control him, and that's what worries me. Whatever it was that got to him, surely, is still out there."

__

"And you feel that whatever it was, will come to claim you."

The conversation between angel and lord surfaced in a haunted mind, adding to the halls of memories which past through and by the unconscious blonde's attention. But soon the pleasant voice of the Lady Ophanimon was drowned out by the twisted words of the demon lord Deamon.

__

"We are all slaves to a greater will. You and I are the same, puppets on unbreakable strings. Serving our masters without question."

Another memory, another omen, which past by him quickly and soon the inevitable accord, and the most unwelcome of all voices returned, his own voice, mocked him louder than all the others.

__

"This is who you are, embrace it. Feeding off of your anger is your nature; it will make you strong."

The voices soon merged into one, becoming a loud jeering cry. They threw every title of unworthiness imaginable at the teen. Labeling him "weak", "selfish", and "useless". He took each insult; he did not have the strength to argue with them. So he let them beat him, bruise him, leaving his soul bloody and injured.

Matt awoke quickly as the voices finally pushed him out of unconsciousness. He jolted up from his lying position unable to hide the lingering traces of fear that shone from his glistening azure eyes. The tears caught in the blue orbs reflected the small traces of light that past upon the teen's face. His breathing was quick at first, as though he was struggling to catch his breath after a long and tiring run. He sat shaking and panting at the moment, completely oblivious to the dark brown eyes, which watch him with great interest.

The blonde's breathing soon evened out, and the tears that shone so plainly in his eyes before dried up as his vision cleared and his perfectly crafted mask was placed yet again upon his angelic features.

The boy sitting across from the blonde watched the change, his eyes displaying his interest but not portraying his amazement. He had seen this before, the blonde would get caught off guard and for only a moment, sometimes even less, you could catch a glimpse of what was truly passing through his mind. Most of the time the glimpse would end so quickly that you had to question whether you saw it or not, but this time the blonde was not only ailed mentally but also physically, something which allowed the brunette to see more of his feelings than usual.

Matt's vision had at last cleared, and the recollection of what had occurred before his black out came rushing back. He remembered the voice, the feeling of being trapped, the need to get away, and then Tai. It came rushing back, his best friend Tai had been there, and for the first time since he had awoken he became aware that Tai was there. Not only was he here in the memorial, but he was also sitting only a few feet across from him, watching him closely.

Immediately the blonde's head lowered and his eyes locked onto the dark green grass below him. It was then that he realized that he has been moved. Tai had apparently moved him and propped him up against the trunk of the willow tree. He could see white leaves and red petals lying around and on him, and he could only wonder how many had landed in his hair.

"You're getting better you know." 

Tai's gentle voice drew Matt's attention to the brunette, and for the first time he dared to lift his head to look at him. The blonde didn't try to hide the confused look on his face, instead he let his bewilderment show in a silent question.

Tai was watching his friend closely; there was no emotion on his usual cheery face, however, a hint of worry remained evident in his dark eyes. 

Matt found himself shifting uncomfortably under his friend's gaze. He had many questions of his own, like how did Tai get here, when did he get here, and how long had he been listening, but those questions would have to wait at least for the moment.

"Use to, when something was bothering you, you'd keep it hidden really well, but I could always tell when something was up, even if I wasn't sure of what it was. Sure when I first met you I didn't really know something was bothering you, but I could still feel it. Every time I was around you, I'd feel just a small portion of the weight you'd carry around." The brunette paused for a moment taking a small breath.

Tai's eyes burned deep into Matt's eyes of ice, and the blonde was finally forced to look away, for fear that his close friend would see too deep within him.

Disappointment immediately fell upon the brunette's face. 'Why does he feel like he can't even look at me? Does he think I won't understand?'

The very thought of that possibility hurt the Child of Courage, but he brushed it away, deciding to stay focused on his self appointed task.

"As I got to know you better, I understood what those weights were, they were your sadness, your loneliness, and you self hatred. When I realized what they were I wanted to help you, even if I couldn't understand why you had those feelings, I wanted to be your friend and help you get rid of them. But you didn't need my help, you got rid of them on your own." Tai paused once again, and for the first time since his blonde companion stirred he looked away, diverting his eyes to the branches of the unusual tree above him. "And now I can't even tell when something's bothering you. Like I said, you've gotten better, at keeping your secrets."

Tai could not stop the quiver in his voice as he ended his speech, it came out fully with the worlds, but it didn't bother him, he wanted his friend to know how he felt.

Silence fell between the two boys, a silence, which was only tainted by the sound of the wind rustling the leaves above them.

"Yet again you jump to conclusions, and yet again you are incorrect." 

Tai's looked back in his friend's direction as the sound of the blonde's gentle voice interrupted the silence.

Matt now sat, no longer leaning again the tree behind him, with his knees pulled close to his chest and his arms wrapped comfortably around his legs. "I didn't get rid of them, not all of them anyway. I was able to rid myself of the feelings that were the strongest at the time. The loneliness, the guilt and anger about my parent's divorce, and some of the self-hatred, but I didn't do it alone. It was the very thought of you and the others, the knowledge that you were my friends and that I wasn't alone any more that got rid of those feelings. The others, the feelings I wasn't strong enough to get rid, I buried. I pushed them deep within myself, and for a while I had peace. Only now are they beginning to surface."

Matt realized mid way through his explanation that there was no reason to keep himself in check, and so he allowed his voice to take on whatever hopeless tone it would.

Tai watched Matt closely, pleased that the other boy was talking.

"Why didn't you tell us that you're suffering?"

"What's the point?"

Tai was a little taken back by the quick and almost harsh response, but decided to ignore it. "You can't keep your feelings bottled up, that's how they consume you." He explained, feeling that he had had this conversation with the blonde before.

"It's different this time." The blonde replied more calmly than before, obviously he too saw the similarity between this conversation and others he had held with his companion.

This caught Tai's attention, and he made a mental note to try and remember every detail he could of this conversation for future use.

"It's not just about me or what's bothering me, it's about my people. I worry for them and myself. I worry for what may lay ahead for us and I worry about our past. I just feel like something, something that I may not be able to handle on my own, is coming. There's just so much that I don't know, and it's making me feel helpless." Matt explained, hoping to pass of the majority of his problems as simple fears for his rein and those he rules over. It was after all a large part of his troubles, even if it wasn't the main part.

Tai nodded noting his friends concerns, then pushed further. "Who was it that you were pleading with before you past out?" the brunette questioned, his vice gaining and edge of authority which clearly demanded a response.

Matt physically winced at the question, he still hadn't restored his mask and put his guard up, so the action was plainly seen by his friend, who once again made a mental note of it. "What… what do you mean?" the blonde ask shakily, keeping his head lowered and silently cursing himself for being so obvious.

Tai's face suddenly soften, he no longer saw the need for such blunt interrogation, he knew now that his friend was ready to give, and he knew for certain that something was really wrong. "You were begging for someone to just leave you alone, it was almost like you were in pain." 

Matt at last looked up, his crystal eyes seemed sad, but all other traces of emotion had vanished from his features and the mask was slowly being replaced. "After Ladydevimon… died, I began to feel guilty. I know I shouldn't, but I do. She was my servant, my responsibility, and my friend, and now she's gone. I argue with myself not to feel guilty, but sometimes the guilt wins." He expressed his voice taking on a rational tone that nearly made his companion sick.

"Matt you looked like a frighten animal, like you were trying to escape some… hunter." Tai pressed, not accepting Matt's vague answer.

Suddenly the blonde's apathetic look turned to one of anger and he jolted up from where he sat on the grass, his hands clenched in fists. "Why were you spying on me?!" he questioned in offense. 

Tai too jumped up from the ground, ready to defend himself when he noticed Matt's already fair skin grow ghostly pale, and his once burning blue eyes glaze over. The blonde took one shaky almost frighten breathe before he began to fall forward.

Tai immediately reached out to his friend, preventing him from falling once again, and slowly lowered him back to the ground while commenting. "You haven't been eating well or sleeping, WereGarurumon told me." He stated gently, not even fully certain that the other boy could hear him.

"Remind me to have a talk with him when I get back." The young Lord replied, showing that he was still conscious.

"Don't be mad at him." Tai asked gently, as he placed the weakened blonde back on the grass.

A smirk appeared on Matt's lips as his eyes cleared and the dizzy spell passed. "I'm not." He replied kindly, "And I'm not mad at you." He explained as apologetically as he could.

Tai smiled brightly, giving his friend a reminder of just how cheerful he could be. "I know, and I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy." He explained while scratching the back of his head.

Tai was now sitting on his knees no more than two feet away from Matt who was sitting Indian style on the ground.

"Tai?" Matt questioned softly, in an uncertain tone.

The seriousness in his friend's voice caused the brunette to loose his goofy grin and return to a calm stare.

"Promise me that… that if I ever begin to follow in Piedmon's footsteps… that you'll," the blonde paused for a moment taking a deep breathe to steady himself. "That you'll do whatever it takes to stop me." 

At this Matt looked up, staring at his friend closely. The urgency in his words and eyes caused Tai to falter back a bit, and he did not like where this conversation was going.

"Matt, that's not going to happen"

Tai began, but his argument was cut off by his companion.

"Please Tai! Just promise me. I'm not asking the Leader of the Digidestined to promise the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers this; I'm asking you as my friend. Please, promise me that if I ever loose myself, that you'll put an end to whatever replaces me. I would rather it be you than anyone else, I would rather you be the one that sets me free if I should ever be imprisoned within someone else's will." Matt eyes now glistened with tears, and his voice pleaded so strongly that Tai didn't really know how to react.

'So this is what's be tormenting you for all of these months. I knew you were sad about Ladydevimon's death, and I knew it was hard to walk through Odaiba seeing all of the destruction that still kept the city in ruin. I knew you felt guilty for both of those things, I mean it hasn't be that long, only a few months since Deamon was destroyed. No one expected for you to get over that quickly. But I would have never guessed that you were worried about this. Worried that you would become Piedmon. Now I understand, that's what you're so afraid of, that's what you're running away from.'

Tai thought over everything quickly, his steady dark eyes were still locked upon Matt's shaky blue ones. 

"Matt like I said it will never happen, you're not him." Tai began; noticing the disappointed look that fell upon his friend's face at not receiving the answer he wanted. "But if it makes you feel better, than I promise. I promise that if you ever stray from who you are, if you ever fall under anther's unjust will or influence, then I will do everything and anything within my power to stop you. I will be the one that sets you free." The words were hard for the brunette to utter, but he spoke them with courage, knowing that he owed his friend this.

Matt smiled suddenly all traces of fear, sadness, and guilt faded from his eyes and he smiled a true happy smile.

"Thank you." The blonde stated, his usual gentle tone suddenly return and no emotions besides love and gratitude were evident in his voice.

Tai nodded and smile, but did not get a chance to say anything as his friend suddenly stood up, only this time no dizzy spell came upon him.

Tai sighed and shook his head in a slight show of agitation, then followed his friend's action and stood as well. Once standing he noticed his friend was scanning over the area thoughtfully. 

"I didn't know her very well, but I think she would have liked how the garden turned out." The brunette commented thoughtfully.

A slight chuckle escaped Matt lips as he responded. "She would hate it. If she were here now she would be giving me a speech about how humans are far too sentimental, and how I just need to get over it because everything dies eventually." He stated unable to hide the amusement in his voice, as a mental image of his departed friend appeared in his mind.

"Sounds like she was very… dominating." Tai offered for lack of a better thing to say.

At this Matt fell into a full fit of laughter before replying. "You have no idea."

Tai smiled and snickered too, not because he could relate to Matt's images, but because he was glad to see his friend laughing. "Still the garden is cool, and the colors seem like her style. But why did you build a memorial in such an isolated place? And why do you want people to keep out?" 

At these questions Matt stopped laughing, but the cheer his good memories brought him still shone in his now peaceful eyes. Matt took a step forward and looked over the walled area fondly. "This flat area, between the cliffs, is where I fought Piedmon, or rather Piedmon's ghost. This is where Ladydevimon saved my life, and I hers. Both my and her blood still stain the rock outside of the garden." He explained casually then added. "I like the digimon to stay away because the Generals and I use this as a meeting place." 

Tai nodded in understanding, glad to learn a little more about his friend's life here, and also glad that his friend trusted him enough with these secrets.

Matt was silent for a moment, until a question presented itself to him. "Out of curiosity, how did you know where to find me? And how did you get here?" he turned around as he asked this so that he could look at his companion, who was now standing a little behind him.

Tai was almost astound by the change his friend had gone through in such a short amount of time. One moment he was weak and haunted, then angry and offended, then sorrowful and serious, and now he seemed clam and collective. He stood tall once again, looking much like he did at his courtrooms. His face showed no emotion besides interest as he silently awaited an answer to his question.

Tai shook his head dismissing his earlier thoughts and went to answer the question. "WereGarurumon said you'd be here, and some strange digimon, she looked like a fox with a candy cane around its neck dropped me off where the fog stars. By the way those Devidramon statues nearly gave me a heart attack." 

Matt laughed at his friend's quick response then replied. "Poor baby."

"Hey it's not funny! I'm going to have nightmares tonight from those things." Tai shouted in defense.

"You're lucky they recognized you, usually they slash first and ask questions later. Maybe they just didn't see you as much of a threat." Matt mocked with a thoughtful look.

Tai huffed at the "Not much of a threat" remark then crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll never understand why there are digimon that can turn into stone." he stated bitterly.

Matt shrugged his shoulders at his friend's comment. "Nor will I, but they certainly do their jobs well." He explained with a small hint of pride, "Anyway we should get back, I promised TK we'd go see a movie or something tonight, and I need to check in with Sorcermon before I before I do." 

At this Matt began walking not waiting for a response from his brunette friend.

Tai followed silently at first then asked, "Is there by any chance a quicker way to get back than climbing the mountain?"

Matt nodded then answered, "We'll take two of the Devidramon." 

At this a not so pleased look appeared on Tai's face. "Oh the Devidramon…hehehe… great." 

'I hate Devidramon, they really creep me out.' Tai thought as a shudder ran down his spine. 

"Hey Kamiya! What's taking you so long?" Matt shouted from the arch entrance. He had all of his outer garments bundled up under his arm, and was waiting with a mock look of irritation.

"Coming dear!" Tai replied in a high pitch voice, which caused Matt to role his eyes.

Matt waited until Tai joined him at the entrance then turned to exit, but before he could leave Tai's voice drew his attention back behind him.

"Hey Matt, how come you're not afraid any more?" the brunette questioned seriously, still concerned about the events, which took place moments again.

Matt's face was soft and a small understanding smile pulled at his lips. "I no longer have a reason to be, now that I know I'm in good hands." He stated sincerely.

Tai blushed a little at the complement, he wanted to say something deep and meaningful, "It took you this long to figure that out? Man you can be real slow sometimes." He stated flatly as he walked past his friend into the fog.

Matt watched his retreating friend with a grateful smile. 

__

I don't know what the future may hold for me, I thought such worries would die when Deamon bleed dry, but it seems some things are inescapable. I gained wisdom and strength at the price of one of my dearest friends. This will never happen again. I will find a way to end this cycle. I will find a way to bring order and peace to this chaotic world, so maybe no more will have to suffer as I have. And it is good to know that if I ever stray from my path, if I ever wander into darkness, that I will have him to show me the light again. In him the light is a raging fire, and no matter what he faces none will be able to smite that fire out. But my light is a candle, dim and flickering with even the slightest of wind. I can only hope that if that candle should ever burn out that his fire would consume me and burn the darkness away forever.

"Hey slow poke! Hurry up." Tai's mocking shout broke through Matt thoughts, and the blonde smiled and nodded.

He ran out of the entrance and caught up with his friend then spoke. "Yeah we'd better hurry, we wouldn't want to keep the Devidramon waiting." He stated casually as he walked past a most disturbed Tai.

Tai cringed at the thought of riding on top of the Devidramon, but followed his friend, who he knew was making fun of him.

"You can be so cruel sometimes." The brunette stated bitterly.

"Yes I know." Matt responded with a smile.

And the two laughed together as they disappeared into the fog. Neither could see what was before them, but it did not matter, their friendship made all fear of what was to come fade away.

~*~*~

__

"There have been many ages to this world Yamato, but there has been one thing that has not changed, and that is the force that brought the first darkness upon the Digital World. The force that drove Piedmon mad. It is still here, it still watches, waiting for the time, when it will find the ultimate pawn to finish its plans for full destruction over the world. You are not immune to this age old cycle. It has seen you, felt your power, and it will come for you, just as it has done all Lord's before you. And when the time comes, you will have to face this demon alone. None will stand with you, not even your fellow Digidestined. You will be abandoned to your own conscience, left too decided the fate of this world. And when this time comes, you will not remember me, or what we have spoken of, you will not remember your friends, your generals, or even your brother. All you will be aware of is yourself and a choice."

~*~*~

Well what did you think? Lots of Matt/Tai friendship. Hopefully this gives you a brief look into what role everyone will be falling into in the sequel. Now as far as the sequel goes you can be expecting it soon. I have one last chapter to complete on Prisoner of the Night then I plan on working on the sequel. Of course this all depends on your reviews. Let me know if you're still wanting a sequel quick, if not I'll put it on hold for a while to work on other projects. Anyway comments, questions, criticism? Send it in either by review or e-mail.

I said there'd be a little preview of the sequel posted in the epilogue, but I don't want to give too much of the plot away so here is a brief summary on it.

Deamon has been destroyed and it seems that the last darkness to threaten the Digital World has been erased. However, there is no peace in the mind of the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers. The many tribulations he was forced to face and the grief of loosing one of his greatest friends has weighed heavy upon the Lord's heart. As his inner demons surface he is faced with many great decisions, to end the chaos or let the world go on as it has. To follow the Digi-Cores will and do what is necessary to bring peace and order to the Digital World, or to follow his own will and lead the Nightmare Soldiers to a possible death. Lady Ophanimon will speak more freely of the Ancient race and of their demise. The Digi-gods true prepossess and fates will be decided. The Digidestined will unite and fight for their own believes no matter what the coast. Piedmon's secrets will be revealed. Deamon's desires will be recognized by others. The Nightmare Soldiers will follow their Lord to glory or death. And the Lord of the Nightmare Soldiers will decide the fate of all.

I'm afraid that will have to do in the way of a preview. Hopefully it's enough to at least spark your interest. Anyway as I stated above please review, I need some confidence builders as I venture into this new project.

Also I just opened a site along with the amazing Trayne, dedicated to Fallen Angel and Demon type digimon. There's a message board, chat room, and tones of places for you to get involved. At the moment very little is done but go check it out at and be sure and sing our guestbook, and get involved in our message board debates and conversation. 


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